


Stay Alive (Zombie Apoc!Dan x Reader)

by misho



Category: Game Grumps, Ninja Sex Party - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Badass Dan Avidan, Dan Avidan wants to protect you!!, Dan Avidan x Reader - Freeform, F/M, Game Grumps - Freeform, Holly gives you a brownie as a token of her trust, I'M SHOOK, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Inspired by The Walking Dead, Masturbation, Oral Sex, Reader-Insert, Vaginal Sex, Zombie Apocalypse, dan is such a sweetheart you guys, dan just wants your love n trust, might do smut soon?, nobody knows about the concept of zombies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-10
Updated: 2018-06-12
Packaged: 2019-03-03 07:16:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 26
Words: 71,491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13336173
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/misho/pseuds/misho
Summary: After taking a summer vacation in California, you realize the world is all going to shit before you could even in the airport on your way home. You were forced to hide away in the forest as you lost all connection with the outer world. Luckily, you run into some friendly faces and they agree to help you on your journey if it meant you could help protect and guide them across four different states to get to your home in the gentle state of Arkansas.





	1. Song

The gentle wind made the trees rustle above your head, and you were jumping at every small noise. You had to get away, no matter what. You hauled your packed bag on your back before setting off into the woods on a fresh summer morning.

Usually, this would be the part where you said where you were headed off to or why you were walking in the middle of a forest in California during the summer. To answer that with one sentence, you had to say: The dead had come to life.

Before all the chaos, you were on your way to an airport to return home after a nice and luxurious vacation to the wonderful state of California. Of course, something had to go wrong. Police were blocking off streets, you could hear gunfire, you could smell a rotten stench that made you slowly sink in your seat of the taxi.

You didn't want to recall on it. You had better things to do. Like, get the fuck out of California. You actually had no idea if all of America was the same, but you hoped to God it wasn't. You had your sights set on getting home. Getting to Arkansas.

Yep, the one state in the entire United States of America where people ask: "where is that?" and "wait, is there even an Arkansas?" To which you had to answer all these stupid questions; yes. Arkansas was an actual place. Most commonly known as the Natural State, where you can dig in the dirt for hours upon hours hoping to find even the tiniest diamond in the soil. People there are usually... eccentric. Which actually means that they're hillbillies and rednecks. But, if you look past that outer shell, then you can begin to see the beautiful forests. The fireflies during the summer. The countless lakes and rivers where the water is rich and untampered.

It was on the Ozark Plateau that you had a place to hide out. You sighed and held your crowbar close to your body, walking in the direction you thought was East. You heard a soft groaning, then gurgling. Your head snapped around and you saw a disfigured person stumbling towards you. You quickly turned towards it and froze like a deer in headlights, your blood cold.

"Don't come any closer, or I'll have to hurt you!" You cried, raising your crowbar. The figure, with fish-like eyes, didn't hesitate and kept walking towards you. It raised its arms and you screamed, turning and running. The air was cold against your sweaty face and you gripped your crowbar until your knuckles turned a snow white color. You saw another figure up ahead, and you gasped for air.

"Help, please help me!" You cried, watching the figure turn around. To your disbelief, the figure looked rotten. Her eyes were bloodshot and her jaw was wide open. She snarled at you and then tried to grab at you before you quickly darted off. But, you tripped on a root growing in the ground. You fell on the ground, feeling the dirt and rocks dig into your skin and even cause burns and scratches to show up. You faltered and quickly tried to get to your feet, seeing three figures surround you slowly. You were being encased in rotting flesh, and you felt like you wanted to cry.

"No, don't kill me!" You choked, raising to your feet. They snapped their teeth at you and you couldn't think of anything else except the snapping of teeth echoing in your mind. They wanted to bite you, to kill you.

Biters.

A female biter lunged for you and you screamed, swinging your crowbar like a bat and hitting her square in the jaw. She flew sideways and you sprinted up to her, not sure where to hit her. You rose your crowbar above your head, panting wildly. You just had to kill her, right? She was on the ground, a little shocked from the massive blow to her cranium. You swung it down with all your strength and based her head in, feeling your crowbar easily squish in the matter of what's left of her head. You felt a foreign and cold liquid splatter on your face and you reached to touch it, looking at the blood that wasn't yours. You wiped it off your face quickly and felt panic rise in your chest.

You just murdered someone. You were going to Hell. You felt guilty, but your fight or flight mechanism got triggered in your mind as the two other biters drew closer to you. You cried loudly as you managed to strike both of them down just like the first one. You were definitely going to Hell now, weren't you?

You kept bashing the last one's head with the crowbar, worried they'd leap out and grab you if you didn't do something. You sobbed and dropped your weapon before backing against a tree, sliding down the trunk and cradling your face before continuing to cry.

"Hello?" A soft voice asked. You jerked upward, looking around. You saw an unfamiliar man behind a tree, looking at you. He was accompanied by a small group with a man and a woman.

"Don't-" He quickly said as you gripped your crowbar and stood up quickly. You threatened to swing it at him, and your face was just covered in blood.

"Don't come near me!" You shouted. "Or I'll be forced to hurt you!"

"No, we aren't the dead ones! We just... saw you. Fighting." The guy walked out, his frizzy hair pulled into a loose ponytail. The other man walked up behind him, his sleek hair in a bun and his beard growing on thick. Finally, the one girl stepped out, sporting short purple hair and a sweater with a sewn-in robin on the front.

"What about me?" You ask defensively, still holding tightly on your crowbar.

"And we just thought-" the other man added in. "You could join us. We need an extra hand. In return, we'll give you support and we'll help you however you need."

"How do I know you're not lying?"

"You don't know." The girl piped up. "But, we do need more help." She held out one of those cosmic brownies to you, still wrapped and everything. You timidly took it and inspected the wrapping, not finding a single tear in it. You carefully opened it and took a small bite, swallowing it quickly as your stomach rumbled in want for more.

"Okay, I'll trust you guys. But if there's anything shifty going on-"

"Don't worry." The girl said with a smile. "I'm Holly. That's Dan-" she pointed to the man with the frizzy hair and then the one with the beard. "And that's Arin."

"I'm Y/N." You said softly, finishing your brownie as they walked with you, holding different weapons. Arin was holding a large gun, Holly had a bat, and Dan had a knife. It seemed the group was well set-up, and you felt more comfortable the more Holly talked to you.

"Is it just you guys?" You asked curiously.

"No, we have four more back at our camp. We're in this abandoned warehouse, it's good for the time being. But we have no idea where to go."

"Wait, are you guys just going to stay in California?"

"No," Dan hummed, and you had to think for a moment: how could he hum at a time like this? "We're thinking about going overseas."

"Overseas? That seems way too far. And difficult." You added. "I'm on my way to Arkansas."

"Arkansas?" Holly asked before either of the two others could ask the same thing. "Why there?"

"Well, I live there."

Holly rose her eyebrows in shock. "You're over a thousand miles away from home? Why are you here?"

"Took a vacation. Then, shit hit the fan and I was stuck here. Some asshole took my car, too."

"Damn." Dan sighed, coming up to a fenced-off area. He pulled the gate aside with enough force and everybody walked in, you following close behind. He shut the gate and Arin led the group to a large building with broken windows and long vines. He stepped up to the door and knocked a pattern, 1-2-3, pause, 1-2, pause, 3-4. It took a couple moments, but you heard locks and shifting behind the big metal door and it whined open, exposing a small girl.

"Arin, you're back!" She said happily, stepping aside. "Dan, Holly, and-" She paused, staring at you.

"This is Y/N." Dan said with a smile. "Don't worry. Suze." He said softly, very friendly and comforting.

"Oh, you guys did say you were scouting for new members. Welcome, Y/N. I'm Suzy." She said, suddenly a little ray of sunshine. She led the way to a separate room, where three other people looked up. There was a skinny man, smaller than Dan, an older man with graying hair, and a little girl with curly brown hair.

Almost immediately, the little girl saw you and hid behind the older man. He gently took her hand and his shocking bright eyes stared straight at you.

"Everybody, this is a new member. Her name is Y/N. Y/N, that's Ross-" The skinny guy waved and Holly sat down next to him, smiling happily. "And that's Brian and his daughter, Audrey."

"Hi, everyone." You awkwardly said with a smile, trying to come off warmly to Audrey especially. She sat down behind Brian and held a small book in her hands, opening it and flipping through the pages. You watched Arin and Suzy quietly talk and you sighed, placing your stuff down on the floor and feeling the blood on your face from earlier dry quickly in the humid air. You picked at it, seeing the red liquid under your short nails.

"You should probably go bathe first, it'll be more comfortable." Holly said. "We don't have running water, but we have a creek nearby."

It had only been a week after the whole world seemed to end, how were they so stable with their situation?

"Of course, you'll need someone to go with you to protect you. We usually wash in groups, hope that doesn't bother you." Holly laughs. You shake your head gently and stand up.

"Yeah, I'll go."

"Want me to go with you? I could go for a bath." Asked Dan, standing up too. He had dirt and a nasty scratch on his jaw, which left you to wonder if it was from a biter. You blushed and felt your ears heat up. A man who was going to wash with you? Wait, no, that wasn't a problem. You weren't in high school anymore. You could handle a person of the opposite sex washing in the same creek as you. You agreed, and Suzy was about to say something, but she piped down.

"Be careful out there." Arin warned and Dan nodded with a smile, leading the way to the creek. It was now evening, the air hazy and sky growing dull. It was quiet until he broke the silence.

"So, what's your story?"

"Me?" You blink. "Well, I'm F/N L/N. I'm twenty-four and I live on the edge of the Ozark Plateau in Arkansas." You said, shoving your hands in your pockets and following close behind him. "What about you?"

"Dan Avidan. Former comedian, YouTube star, and singer." He said, almost sourly.

"YouTube star? Had no idea I was with famous people." You laughed, trying to make the situation lighter. Despite your crummy attempt, Dan smiled sweetly.

"Yeah, Brian and Arin were my band mates. Maybe sometime we could sing a song for you. I already sing Audrey a good night song, so you'll hear that eventually."

"That's so sweet. Is Audrey a good kid?"

"Definitely. She's such a little angel, but recently she's been a little shy and quiet. Her mom... well, that's not my story to tell."

"Suzy and Arin?"

"They're married. Suze is really nice. She's fierce, though." He laughed. "Arin's a funny guy, been working with him for so many years. If only we had 4G access, I'd show you some of our videos. Sorta pointless now, though. I'm not going to hide my identity or what I did for a living, it's all over now."

"Don't say that." You softly said as the two of you left the gate behind, looking back at the building grown over with plants. You kicked a pine cone and watched the Dan's fluffy hair bounce as he walked.

"Anyway, Ross and Holly are married too. Ross is nice once you get to know him, a little of a prankster and a shithead, but that was definitely before all this. Now, he seems a little quiet and reserved. You already met Holly, but she's one of the nicest people in the group. She likes to give people chances and she's very caring about everyone." Dan finished, sighing once the creek came into view. There were no biters around, from what you could tell, but you definitely didn't want to be caught by one while you were naked.

"I won't look if you won't." Dan mused, already stripping down. You whirled and faced away from him as you timidly took off your dirty clothes. There was definitely no time to change clothes, so you had to wear the old ones when you got out. You stepped into the creek and it felt lukewarm, probably from being only waist-deep and being out in the sunlight all day long. It was nice and refreshing, so you quickly walked in. You began to cup the water in your hands and wash your face and body with it, the air colder than the water and your upper body getting goosebumps. You heard soft splashing behind you, hopefully from Dan. Although, you wanted to be sure it wasn't a biter.

"Dan?" You softly ask.

"Yeah?" He replied, his voice matching your softness and the splashing coming to a halt.

"Nothing, just..."

"Afraid, huh?" Dan said, probably with a smile. "That's okay, you're with a group now. You don't have to worry anymore." He said, backing up in the water and gently touching your back with his own. He was only trying to comfort you and prove that someone else was here, but why were you feeling so embarrassed? Wait, yeah, the two of you were skinny dipping out in the woods to wash the gunk off of yourselves.

The silence pursued even longer than you thought. You ran your hands through your hair and combed out bits and pieces of dirt and other things, looking down at your reflection in the shimmering water. Dan was now humming a tune lightly, trying to not draw attention, but to comfort you. He kept his voice low and it was almost drowned out by the cicadas droning on, but you could definitely hear his voice. He was humming Everybody Wants to Rule the World by Tears for Fears, which you couldn't help but hum along to also with a small smile plastered on your face.

Then, frogs and crickets began to sing along. It was like an orchestra of wildlife, only a couple fireflies flitting around over the water, lighting up the world around the two of you.

"Dan? How'd you get the scratch on your cheek?" You asked cautiously.

"Oh, we ran into someone earlier before we met you. He got defensive and scratched me with his knife. I also got scratches on my back, but I can't reach 'em."

"If you'd like, I could wash them for you." You offered timidly. Dan paused for a moment and then smiled again.

"If you could, please? I don't want them getting infected."

"Right." You said, slowly turning around and facing his back. The muscles in his back were wild, rippling in all the right places. He had let his hair down, which went a little past his shoulders, and you just wanted to play with his hair. Knowing better, though, you gently washed your hands off and then began to cup water onto his back. He winced and you quickly stopped. "Does it sting?"

"No, just the water's cold on my back." Dan laughed, pulling some of his hair to the side as you continued to wash the scratches. When they seemed pretty clean, you smiled to yourself and turned around.

Someone was standing next to a tree with their arms crossed and watching the two of you intently. You shrieked in fear and backed up against Dan as he snapped around, wrapping his arms around you defensively.

"No, go on, you two are putting on a good show." Said the stranger. It was a man, dirty and ragged. "Especially the girl. Might have to take her for myself." The guy laughed, his eyes glittering in the glowing dark of the forest.

"Get out of here." Dan said, his voice dark. The bugs and animals didn't stop singing, though. It seemed like there was going to be sudden music to accompany you, but in this situation, the world seemed calm as yours seemed like it was just about to crumble. The man held up a gun pointed at Dan and the cicadas were blaring as loud as ever. It seemed to drown out everything, even the man's voice seemed a little muffled as he spoke.

"You wanna repeat that? Hand me the girl."

Dan's grip on you only tightened and you no longer felt like two high school kids in the shower together. You just felt the sinking reality of fear bite down on your heart.

"Don't move." Dan whispered to you, looking back up. He stared at the man, who was frowning now.

"What?-" You tried to ask, but the man cut you off.

"You really want to play these fucking games?" The man shouted angrily now, but he suddenly let out a bloodcurdling scream. There was a biter, attached to his arm, and now tearing ravenously at his arm. His knees buckled under the weight of a biter and a shot rang in the air, above your's and Dan's heads. The guy fell to the ground, screaming wildly as he dropped his gun and was slowly being eaten alive. Dan swung you into his arms, despite being completely nude, and sprinted out of the water, putting you on the ground. You watched the man's blood seep into the river and swirl around mysteriously.

"Quick, get your clothes on, we have to leave before more of the dead show up." Dan commanded, and you didn't hesitate to start getting dressed. You didn't even tie your own shoes and when Dan was ready, you two took off, running as the forest grew darker by each second. The darkness was overwhelming, consuming everything in it's path and slowly trying to confuse your path home. Dan was holding onto your hand so tightly, it was starting to hurt, but you couldn't think about that when the only thing on your mind was pure fear.

You started to cry and you tripped on your own shoelace, bringing Dan down with you. He fell beside you and glanced at you, eyes wide. "What's the matter, Y/N?"  
"I'm scared." You admitted, almost like a child. Dan quickly scooped you up in his arms again and he began to run again, slower this time. You clung to him, allowing yourself to calm down and trying to block out the images that keep replaying in your mind of the man just screaming and gasping for air.

You hoped he was dead by now.

You didn't care if he was a piece of shit, you wanted him to die already and stop crying out for help. To stop suffering.

Dan quickly shut the gate behind him and let you down, the two of you safer now. He turned to you, taking his unusually large thumb and wiping your tears.

"I'll wait until you calm down. It might be embarrassing to walk in crying."

You nodded and wiped your own tears until you felt your heart slow down from it's race. You shuddered and took a deep breath, hearing something suddenly hit the fence loudly. It gurgled angrily at the two of you and you couldn't stop staring at it. Dan took your face and bent over to your height, staring you in the eyes.

"You're okay." He whispered and you murmured a 'yeah' as a response before he led you inside the building. Everyone greeted the two of you calmly and he didn't mention anything about what happened down at the creek. They had a small campfire going, and the windows were open, so the song of the nighttime creatures hadn't died down really. The adults were huddled around the fire and Brian was next to Audrey, who was laying down covered in a thick blanket.

"Sorry I'm late." Dan laughed and sat down beside Brian and his daughter, talking quietly to Audrey as if nothing had just happened outside. You slowly sat down next to Suzy, who offered you a blanket because you looked cold. You turned it down with a shaky smile and Suzy frowned, concerned but not wanting to dig into you. Then, you heard singing. Not from outside, but from nearby. You turned around to face the backside of Dan, watching him and Brian gently sing a song to Audrey. You couldn't really tell what song he was singing to her, but it sounded sweet and pretty. Brian finished by kissing his daughter's head and stayed by her side until she fell asleep. Then, Brian and Dan moved to the main group around the fire.

"So, how was the creek?" Arin asked, poking the fire. You and Dan were handed food, something small, but you took it anyway.

"Warm. We washed pretty well, but then some guy showed up." Dan said, his mouth full of food. "He threatened to kill me if I didn't give Y/N to him. I saw a dead one coming for him and didn't say anything, he got taken down and we ran."

Oh, you see now. Dan didn't want to say it in front of Audrey and scare her before she went to sleep.

"Damn. Glad you guys are safe." Holly shared.

"Yeah. You've got to be more careful and go out when it's lighter." Brian said, the first time you heard him talk. "But I'm glad you two are okay."

"Yep!" Dan said with pep, looking at you. You felt tired and somber, sleep making your eyelids heavy. You yawned after you finished eating and Suzy smiled.

"Ill take first watch." She offered, stretching a little. Nobody protested as they all got in their usual sleeping positions. Brian was on one side of Audrey, Dan on the other, Ross, Holly, and Arin. You laid down, the floor chilly but the air warm. The minute your head touched the floor, you immediately passed out and fell into a deep slumber.


	2. Trip

"Y/N?" Someone said. You jerked awake and saw Holly sitting over you with a smile. "It's morning. You slept like a rock all last night."

"Oh, I'm sorry!" You apologize, sitting up. "I-I could've taken watch-"

"No offense, but I don't think the others trust you quite yet. It's hard for us to trust people, but we do give them chances." Holly assured you, but you felt bad after what she had said. It was true, the only people who trusted you the most was Holly and Dan, but you were glad that at least they did.

As you stood up and cracked your back, it seemed everybody was already up. They were gathering their things, getting ready to move.

"Wait, what's going on?" You asked Holly, looking at her curiously as she stood up beside you.

"We're moving to Arkansas. We decided that we liked your plan of action."

"W-Wait, really?" You stammered, a smile coming to your face. "That's great! I mean- I hope it won't be too long..."

"We have a map." Suzy interjected with a delicate smile. Here's a pen." She handed you both, telling you to mark on the map where you were headed. So, you drew a circle on the top left part of Arkansas and handed it back to her and she gave you a sweet smile before turning around and resuming her milling around. When everybody seemed to slow down, Suzy clapped her hands together.

"Alright, everybody, are we all set to go?"

"Seems so." Ross said, examining his bag and nodding in finalization. Then, they started to walk out. Audrey was comfortably nestled on top of her dad's backpack, piggyback riding him with a tired expression. They were very organized when walking. Brian would be in the middle with Audrey, then the girls next to Brian, Arin and Dan in the lead, and Ross in the back with you. At some point, though, Ross and Dan switched places.

"Hey, how'd you sleep?" Dan asked with a comfortable smile.

"I had the usual nightmare, nothing big."

"Usual nightmare? What do you mean?"

"Well, ever since this whole shitstorm started, I've had the same nightmare. I'm surrounded by biters... they're gaining on me quick." The images flashed vividly in your mind's eye and your voice shaked slightly. You talked quietly to avoid the attention of Audrey. "And I'm trying to fight them off, but they're grabbing at me. And biting me. There's this excruciating pain, something so horribly gruesome."

"I'm sorry." Dan cut you off. He was probably getting images, too. "I think we all suffer from the same nightmare, though." He glanced at the group ahead of him. "I hope at least Audrey gets to have some kinder dreams."

"Yeah." You agreed solemnly, your eyes staring at the ground as you walked. Your feet were starting to ache, but you clamped your mouth tightly. You weren't going to complain when these people were being so nice to you, when they had probably suffered through much worse conditions.

"Why?" You suddenly asked to Dan. He rose an eyebrow, blinking at you now.

"Why what?"

"Why are you so nice to me?"

Dan made an amused smile, but you really didn't plan to be that funny. "Well," he started, trying to find words. "when we first saw you- when I did." He corrected himself. "I saw someone who was so scared, someone who needed help, a place to stay, and people to talk to. I gave you a chance to even kill me," Dan laughed, referring to the creek moment. "but you didn't. You helped me out, and you were just looking for someone to talk to."

You fell silent. Was he right? Were you looking for that someone that Dan described to you?

"And I could tell you weren't bad."

"How's that?"

"Well, an innocent girl out in the woods bashing three dead people with her crowbar, far after their death, and with no other way of self-defense sort of gave it away." Dan suddenly laughed, a little burst of short but quick giggles. "But I suppose if I saw that before all this, you'd be considered bad, huh?"

You laughed too. His giggles were incredibly cute, it made your chest feel lighter. Your voice lowered and faltered away, watching Suzy linger behind the group ahead. You glanced at Dan and quickened your pace, catching up to Suzy. She looked over at you in surprise, not expecting you to be walking beside her.

"Hey, Y/N." Suzy said with a smile, her arm clutched close against her abdomen. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, just wanted to know if you're okay."

"Oh," Suzy laughed a little miserably. "I'm just cramping, that's all."

"Is it-"

"Yeah." Suzy cut you off, looking embarrassed.

"That sucks. Do you need anything?" You asked politely and her cheeks just reddened.

"It would be appreciated, but I'm not going to ask you anything-"

"Nah, I'd like to do it for you. I'll go into the nearest town and look for a store, alright?"

"Are you sure?" Suzy asked, her eyes wide with appreciation. You nodded and told her you'd bring someone with you, and you already had someone in mind. You walked up to Arin and asked him about stopping for Suzy's cramping issue and so that you could go get something for her. He agreed hesitantly and the group slowed to a stop in a clearing of the forest. Dan approached you, hands in his pockets.

"Can I come with you?"

"I was just about to ask you to come with me." You laughed awkwardly and nodded, "Sure. It says the closest town is Roseville, not the big one." You hummed, looking down at the map as the two of you walked in the correct direction. "It should only be around three miles away."

"So, it'll take an hour to get there?"

"Not if we walk fast." You joked with him, a smile coming across your face.

Around five minutes into the walk, Dan finally spoke again. "So, why are you doing this?"

"Hm? Why? Well, you guys have been so nice to me. I have to show you guys you can trust me, even if it is one-by-one."

"It's really sweet of you, you know? You're not just earning the respect of Suzy, but definitely the others. You know what'll really win their hearts?" Dan asked. You thought for a moment or two before giving up and asking him what.

"Food. We could scavenge a little while we're in Roseville. Don't worry about the dead, we can take 'em."

"Biters." You said suddenly.

"Biters?"

"That's what I call them." You looked over at him, then back down at your map quickly. You tried to avoid making eye contact with his big puppy dog brown eyes, but it seemed nearly impossible since they almost always drew your own eyes like a magnet.

"Oh, then, I suppose I'll call them biters too." Dan laughed softly. It seemed too quickly, but nearly an hour passed and there wasn't a sign of any biters in the woods, which seemed surprising, since California was infested with people. You brushed away the trees and saw a small two-lane road, Roseville looking like a small ghost town. It was older vintage buildings that just bled the creepy vibe. But, you did recognize some signs and you saw a Dollar General, approaching it.

"Wait, Y/N." Dan said quietly. You suddenly turned still, your head sharply looking at his expression. He seemed concerned, but nothing looked like it was going to be bad. "Just be careful, I don't know what I'd do if something happened."

You nodded and led the way more cautiously towards the Dollar General, the glass doors shattered and easy to walk into. The lights were off, but the large windows up front filtered in sunlight through the milky white clouds and you could even see dust particles flitting around in the air timidly. It was so serene, but you knew it would be a dangerous mission to do.

Dan hunted for leftover foods that haven't been scavenged and you looked in the feminine products aisle, and surprisingly, nobody had really touched the section of the store. Although, there was a large pile of loose paper towels and toilet paper. You reached down and snatched a roll off the pile, but suddenly something grabbed your wrist. It was a hand, tattered and black with dried blood. Whatever it was pulled itself out of the pile of the towels and gurgled threateningly at you. You screamed shortly before kicking it's ankle, managing to make it fall. It pulled you down with it and was dazed, but your eyes were wide since it's teeth was so close to your face. The biter gripped you and opened it's mouth, but its head was quickly bashed in. Blood and guts splattered everywhere and you flinched, closing your eyes rather quickly.

Dan's boot slowly let up on the head of the biter and he gently took your hand, pulling you up into his arms.

"Are you alright, Y/N? Did it bite you?" He asked, his large hands resting on your shoulders, looking you straight in the face.

"I-I'm fine."

"I'm sorry if I scared you, I had to act quick." Dan said, sighing and wiping your bloody face with his thumb. He brushed it onto his torn jeans and stepped back, giving you room. "I'll stay with you from now on. I did manage to get a couple of cans, though."

"That's good." You answered quietly, looking down. Your heart was racing so quick, still in shock after the biter attack. You turned to the shelves, your eyes trying not to scan over the corpse. You found some pads and opened the box, pouring the pads into your backpack. You knew the box wouldn't fit, so you had to improvise. You also managed to swipe a smaller box of tampons, but it seemed like the store was pretty ransacked. Dan held something out to you once the two of you were out of the store, and you glanced down at it.

"A cup of pudding?"

"Eat it. Get your energy up." Dan said softly, leading the way down the street. You took it and used the peel-off lid as a scoop to shovel big bites of chocolate pudding into your mouth.

"Where are we going?" You asked, the pudding altering your speech.

"Might as well look around for some other things. Need to get some more clothes, medical supplies, and I'd like to see if the school will have anything for Audrey."

"That's sweet of you." You smiled a little, following him as he took a turn down the street. "Well, the school should have most of that stuff. We can check."

"Are you sure you want to come along? I don't want you getting hurt, or scared." Dan worriedly said. You shook your head, tossing the empty pudding cup on the street.

"Don't worry, as long as I'm with you, I should be okay."

"Alright..." Dan trailed off, walking into the fenced off courtyard of the school. The playground looked abandoned, almost something straight from a horror movie. Dan drew his knife, suddenly acting a lot more cautious than he was earlier. He strode up to the doors and slowly pushed on the bar, it clicking and allowing entrance. He leaned in, looking around, and then motioned to you.

Gripping your crowbar, you walked in behind him. The school hallways were dark and you could imagine kids milling around and talking, laughing with each other. For some reason, you didn't hear any groaning. Where were all the biters in this town? It was as if nobody had lived in it for decades.

"Nurse's office is down this way." You said quietly to him, showing him the sign hanging above the door. He nodded and walked to the door, slowly opening it and glancing around inside. Then, he disappeared inside the room. You quickly walked in behind him and shut the door.

"Great, looks like nobody looked in here yet." Dan said happily, setting down his backpack and starting to just put medicines and vitamins into his bag. You looked at old files, reminiscing about the past that you had no involvement in. Luckily, the counselor's office was right next door, so it didn't take much effort to move into the other room to look for clothes.

"So, you mentioned you were a singer." You said with a sly smile. "What genre you sing?"

"Comedy rock typically." Dan laughed, his cheeks lighting up a pinkish color. The two of you searched through closets and bins as you talked.

"Make your own songs?"

"Oh God, don't remind me. They're so embarrassing to talk about to people who don't know the band."

"Well, now I'm interested." You laughed, looking at him. He sat with his legs crossed on the floor, calmer now.

"First, let me talk about the characters. There was Danny Sexbang-"

"Holy shit, that name!" You laughed, like a child listening to a bedtime story.

"-who was like this superhero who got to bang a lot of girls and fight evil with his ninja friend, Ninja Brian."

"And?"

"And, well," Dan laughed, embarrassed now, "one of our most popular songs was 6969, yeah. Take that in. I could sing it for you if you'd like."

"Well, we need to get going now anyways, we can't have the others wait for too long."

"Yeah, you're right." Dan stood up, packing away the clothes he scavenged and then walking out of the office. You looked down a dark hallway and slowly rift away from his side, walking slowly down the hall. You heard a faint noise, but you weren't scared. You turned to a classroom and tried to see inside the glass, but your heart dropped the second you did.

"Dan?" You asked quietly, looking at him down the hall a couple yards away. He turned and frowned, jogging up to you.

"Are you okay?"

"Look." You pointed to the window and he glanced inside, his face changing from concern to a deep sorrow.

"I can... handle it." He offered, looking back down at you. You didn't hesitate to nod and you backed up, letting him slowly open the door.

The small figure in the room turned around and babbled at the two of you angrily. The little girl slowly stumbled towards Dan, dragging her bare feet, and her skin rotting to the point where it looked like it would just fall off. Dan quickly stepped in before she could move and he gently grabbed her head, sliding his knife into her skull and allowing her to fall limp. She fell onto the floor and you walked in behind Dan.

"Should we..?" You trailed off and Dan picked up the little girl in his arms, despite the stench she was emitting. Her pretty blonde hair fell across her face and Dan closed her eyes for her, setting her down next to the door.

"Let's just find something for Audrey, then we'll bury her and get going."

You nodded and managed to find a couple of Dr. Seuss books, an empty sketch book, and a Barbie doll with her dress still intact. It was a nice haul, while Dan just found some crayons and a coloring book. He put them all safely inside your bag and then swooped up the little girl again, walking out of the building.

It took awhile to dig a hole, but there was a gardening shed where you could find shovels, so you buried her under a tree. It was bittersweet, and all you could think about were the girl's parents. If they were alive and in constant regret, or if they were dead and finally relieved that their little girl has returned home into their arms.

You cried. Dan wrapped his arms around you and you hugged him back, not worried about opening up to him anymore. Then, you guys made your way back through the sunset in the forest.

"We're back." You announced, walking up to the group. They perked up with joy and greeted both of you with big smiles.

"We were worried about you guys." Suzy said, and you approached her, transferring the feminine products to her bag. She said something about going to the bathroom, so she disappeared behind some bushes with Arin to guard her.

"Ran into a couple issues, but we brought back food and supplies too." Dan said, sitting down and yawning. You looked at the toys and books in your bag and sat down next to Brian and Audrey.

"Hi, Audrey." You said with a small smile. "Danny and I also got you some books and stuff. Here, look." You opened your bag to her, and she was immediately drawn.

"A Barbie!" She said excitedly. You grinned and she showed her dad, who nodded, holding a stuffed dog toy.

"Danny also got you crayons and a coloring book. Look at that!" You pointed out, showing her the pages that weren't scribbled on by other kids. She seemed really happy to have it, and she even wanted to sit in your lap and color in her new book. You were glad she was warming up to you.

"Thank you for doing that." Brian said to you.

"Oh, you're welcome! You should really be thanking Dan, he had the idea to go to a school. He also told me about Ninja Brian. I had no idea!" You laughed. Brian chuckled a little.

"Yeah, I'm sorry if I came off as rude or anything. Always been sort of reserved to myself."

"Nothing wrong with that." You hummed. "Oh, Arin, you too Ross!" You said, pulling out the sketchbook from your bag once he returned with Suzy. "I snagged this so I could write in it, but I heard you guys were really good artists. Take it."

"R-Really?" Arin blinked.

"Thank you so much, Y/N." Ross grinned, Arin looking at Dan with a suspecting smile before taking it and thanking you. Almost immediately, him and Ross were drawing together. Everyone seemed so happy, it was such a tranquil moment. You knew that you'd become even better friends with these people over time, and you couldn't wait for that moment.


	3. Complain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **WARNING: RAPE!**  
>  Please, take caution! I didn't go too in detail, but it clearly states that there was rape, and I want my readers to be safe!  
> Remember, I love you guys so, so much, and you can always talk to me!

You couldn't complain, you did enough of that when you were still a kid. As a teenager, when the littlest things were asked of you, you hardly wanted to do them. You complained when your mom made you go to the store with her, when your dad needed help out in the yard, or even when the Wifi you weren't paying for was 'slower than usual.' You regretted those moments where you took things for granted and you wished you could go back and erase those moments where you whined about those things.

Even in your situation, you didn't complain. You've been through Hell and back, yes, but you didn't want to complain anymore, or pull a victim card. Everyone was dealing with the same struggles, the same issues, the same exact problems that you had. Because you left those days of whining and crying back in your teenage years, and you decided that you wouldn't bring the group down by doing any of that. Besides, Audrey didn't do that and she was a whopping three years old.

Anyway, it was a solid week later and the group managed to make it into Arizona. Which, you deducted, was a horrible idea, since most of Arizona was desert and it was in the thick of summer. Luckily enough, though, you guys found a highway, and around the road for a good mile, was heavy underbrush and greenery. It was hard to navigate through such horrid conditions, but it was definitely better than out in the open sun all day long.

You were slowly growing closer with all of them, too. Arin had told you about his so-called 'internet empire,' which sounded a lot bigger than what it truly was. Ross showed you the progress in the sketchbook, and you were amazed by his and Arin's drawing skills. Suzy found a polaroid camera from a scouting mission and was taking pictures of the entire group, and Holly just talked about simple things with you, like your birthday, happy memories, and just things to lighten the mood. Brian was still a little cold to you, and you figured it was hard to get on his trustworthy side. In the meantime, you and Audrey hung out a lot and she started to call you 'Aunt Y/N,' which you found the most adorable thing since you'd never really been around children like this before.

And then there was Dan. He definitely cared so much about you, and you could tell he really was giving you all the chances he could offer, but you had no idea why. He was easily your favorite person to hang out with, and it was simply because of how kind and trusting he acted with you. He even convinced Arin to let you take watch at night, to which Arin hesitantly agreed to.

So, here you were. Sitting next to a tree, watching Audrey color in her book with a small kid's flashlight on beside her. Brian eyed you down carefully, his arms closed tightly against his chest as he looked tiredly at you, and then his daughter.

"Hey, Brian?" You asked, looking over at him finally. His piercing eyes blinked and then glanced up at you, eyebrows raised.

"What happened... to your wife?"

Brian didn't change suddenly, or really make any emotion when you said that. He simply sighed and Audrey paused, her eyes glittering from the light.

"She was at work when it happened. We tried to contact her and she wouldn't answer. When the group gathered and looked for her at her workplace, she wasn't anywhere to be found."

Silence pursued. The crickets droned on and on, something that nearly lulled you into sleep. You blinked awake and sighed, feeling a heaviness in your chest. "I'm sorry." You said hoarsely and he shook his head.

"Don't be. I'm not upset, and I won't be."

"Isn't it difficult for you, though?"

"More than anything I've ever been faced with." Brian said, eyes hanging low now. "But that doesn't mean I'm going to shut down, sob, and not be there for Audrey. She needs me to be strong right now, and that's what I'll do for her."

Audrey closed her book and walked up to her dad, hugging him and sitting on his lap. He gently wrapped his arms around her and squeezed her tightly and she smiled happily, her eyes closing. "I love you daddy." She said, and he smiled back, gently petting her hair.

"I love you too, sweetie." He replied softly.

It was such a heartwarming moment that hearing a twig snap in the distance made you jump out of it. You looked around, eyes wide, and totally not tired as all Hell, and Brian hushed. There was no wind, definitely no animals, and no biters around. Then, you heard whispering. You stood up quickly, running over to Brian.

"I hear voices." You said, alert.

"Quick, grab Audrey and run." He commanded suddenly. "I'll wake up the others."

Brian stood up and you took Audrey in your arms, holding her close as you told her to hang on. You sprinted away from the camp, not hesitating to look back. You convinced Audrey to play the quiet and still game while you were running, but her weight was definitely making you slower by each step. And, not to mention, you were deathly tired too. Suddenly, someone grabbed your shoulder and you nearly fell, but a hand wrapped around your mouth to silence you. Then, someone quickly snatched Audrey from your arms.

"Looks like we've got a runner, and better, with a kid."

Audrey began to cry and the man holding her quickly silenced her by a cloth, and she immediately appeared to fall asleep. You tried to scream her name, but the man pressed his hand against you and held your arms behind your back. You struggled and kicked and he let out a long sigh before something heavy knocked into your head, and all you saw was pure darkness before passing out.

\---

Brian quickly woke everyone up, telling them about the situation before men began to surround the camp with guns held up. The girls clung to each other, Dan looked confused as hell, and Brian looked as mad as ever. Arin slowly raised his hands.

"You're the people who killed my brother." Said a man, walking forward. He seemed to be the leader of the group, and he looked incredibly gross the moment he unwrapped the bandana from his mouth.

"What are you talking about?" Arin said, frowning.

"You!" He pointed to Dan. "You were seen with a younger girl down at a stream in California. My brother told us about you and then you killed him."

"What?" Dan, looking around at the group. He didn't see you, and he began to sweat nervously. "What girl?"

The man let out an angry growl, his voice low, and suddenly there was something like a 'tch-' noise. He gripped something on his hip and listened in to the walkie talkie as a message was being said.

"Found the girl, H/C hair with E/C eyes. Early twenties, with a kid around four or something."

"Take 'em both." The man replied back, placing his walkie talkie back in its original spot and then grinning at the group. "Looks like we have a liar." He then looked at his own men. "Loot them, we'll take the frizzy-haired one."

He gripped Dan's hair and knocked him out and Suzy and Holly cried out in fear. Brian put up a fight, but he was next to get coldcocked, and one-by-one, the group was all unconscious on the sand. The men took his winnings and left, dragging Dan behind him, kicking up clouds of dirt and dust.

\---

When you came to, you were in a trailer, strapped to a bed. You struggled against the ropes, creating burns deep in your skin. You didn't cry, though, because the growing fear of Audrey getting hurt was worse than any rope burns. Your eyes frantically tried to gather your surroundings, but it was dark. The windows were covered by thick blinds, and the sound of crickets was faintly wafting through the thin walls. You rattled the bed with your restraints, feeling a cloth around your mouth obstructing your speech.

Suddenly, the door swung open with a whine and you watched as a man walked in. He pulled off the bandana around his mouth and tossed it on a counter, walking dangerously closer to you with a rotten smile. He leaned down to come face-level with you and pulled the cloth away from your mouth. You gasped for air, coughing and hacking as he gripped your throat, his fingers digging into your skin.

"You're the bitch who killed my brother."

"What?" You managed to whisper and he quickly let go of your throat, explaining the situation to you.

"My brother was out on a scouting mission, saw you and your boyfriend splashing in the creek, and then you killed him, left him for the roamers to eat."

"W-We didn't do anything like that!" You pleaded, your arms trying to get out of their restraints by flailing. "A biter attacked him and he went down. Dan and I ran away, we couldn't do anything about him!"

"Sure." The man said, unconvinced. His eyes narrowed. "We'll see how you enjoy being brutally murdered, but we'll start with the kid first."

"No!" You screamed loudly, and he quickly turned to face you. "Don't hurt her! She's innocent, please, leave her alone!"

"Why should I do that?"

"We'll give you whatever you want! You can kill me, but please leave everyone else alone..." You cried, your head falling down in defeat. The man rolled his eyes and sighed, leaning in close with a devious smile.

"How about you pay me back," he paused, running a finger along your side, "with your body?"

You paused. You didn't want to hesitate, but he was going to kill Audrey if you didn't agree. This was the moment where, in the fairytale, the hero would save the princess and beat up the villain, but you couldn't help but feel so helpless now, and as if fairytales couldn't even save you now. For all you knew, Audrey could already be dead. Everyone back at camp could have been found out, or they might never come for you. All hope in your heart slowly ebbed out of your body, and you felt just numb. There was never a moment like this in your life where you felt like you wanted to die, not by a biter's hands, but by your own. You wanted to end it all, right then and there.

"Promise me you won't hurt her." You said softly, and he caressed your face, almost as lovingly as a significant other would.

"Oh, I won't." He whispered before standing up and walking out of the trailer, slamming the door rudely behind him. When he came back, he had a handheld camera in his hands, and it took him a couple of moments to turn it on and get it going, but he pointed it at you shamelessly tied to the bed.

"What's your name, sweetheart?" He asked behind the camera. You made a grimace, but you swallowed heavily and answered him.

"Y/N."

"Age?"

"Twenty-four."

"Damn, you're young. I guess it's a good thing you're not a kid." He laughed crudely, walking towards you.

The video went on for a good thirty minutes. And you didn't want to recap everything that man did to you. Of course, though, he did rape you. And you sobbed the entire time his fingers traced your body, with each thrust, and with every coy whisper he uttered. He created hickies, bruises, and cuts all across your body, and when the camera went off, he left you stripped of your clothes, innocence, and mind.  
But you couldn't complain.

\---

Uhg, how long was he out for? Dan groaned, opening his eyes and finding dirt and sand in his mouth, his throat sore. But, he had much larger issues than that. He groaned, feeling pain in his ribcage, probably a couple of broken ribs, and he had a massive headache, probably a black eye surrounding his left eye. Examining his skin, he saw bloody bruises and cuts all along it, and when he tried to stand, he managed to actually vomit from getting a head rush. With every breath he took, his chest hurt and twinged and he nearly doubled over.

"Dan! Oh my God!" Suzy said, running up to him. He had no idea how she got here, his vision blurry and dizzy. "We've been searching everywhere for you. It seems that those assholes took you, hurt you, and then tossed you out here to die."

"What time is it?" Dan muttered, clenching his head.

"It's around noon. Those men have Audrey and Y/N, Brian's been breaking down and we can't find where they went."

"Is everyone else okay?"

"Yeah, we just got knocked out."

Dan clasped his head and felt a shot of pain as Suzy tried to help him back to the camp. When he got back, he saw the concerned faces of everyone as they surrounded him, trying to ask him questions and help him. Holly laid him down on a blanket, getting the tattered medical supplies and trying to tend to his harsher wounds.

"A trailer park." Dan said suddenly, everyone looking at him with surprise.

"A... trailer park?" Ross frowned.

"That's where I was taken. They dragged me there, and I heard voices. Talking about a girl." He recalled his memories, his eyes shut and trying to drag them out from his unconscious state from earlier. "And then they started to beat me. They were going to kill me, but someone said to stop, and it was 'boss's orders.' They tossed me out somewhere and left me there, and I must've passed out there."

"Oh my god, a trailer park. They've got to be there." Suzy said, her eyebrows furrowed in concern.

"Wait, there's a trailer park a couple miles away from here." Arin said, looking at the map. "We need to get there, now. Before it's too late."

"I'm coming." Dan said, sitting up.

"No way, you're injured, Dan." Holly said, trying to push him to lay back down. He grabbed her wrist and pushed it off of him, standing up slowly.

"They forgot to check our bodies." Brian said, slowly pulling a knife from under his jacket. "They'll regret taking them."

And so, the group headed out away from their tattered camp with the little weapons they managed to find. Arin led the way with the map and it took nearly two hours to get to the trailer park, but they saw it. And it was guarded by people around the area, walking around. Luckily, there weren't a lot of people. A solid three people guarding the area around the entire park. Arin devised a plan to attack from behind, so Brian, him, and Suzy all attacked the three men, taking them down with ease. The sun was slowly sinking in the sky, creating beautiful orange and yellow streaks like paint across a canvas.

Suddenly, you heard your own doorknob jiggle wildly before the door flew open. You were left in the dark, the sunlight filtering through the blinds making the dust particles flitting around in the air much more visible. A familiar face walked in, looking at you.

"Y/N?" He asked, stepping closer into the light. You looked over at him, seeing Dan's sweet face greet you. Suddenly you were overwhelmed with emotions. You couldn't help but cry and wriggle in your restraints, embarrassed that this was the first time he really saw you nude.

"P-Please don't look at me! I'm gross, I'm ugly!" You cried, trying to turn away, but he just quickly approached you and caressed your face.

"No, you're not!"

"You were too late!" You said, upset now. Your hero has come too late. You were already gone, all that innocence and love, stripped from your body. He carefully cut the rope around your arms and legs, releasing you from your bounds and then he lifted you up, despite the pain in his chest.

"Y/N, listen to me. You're beautiful. Please, don't cry. I'm so sorry this happened to you." He kept talking, and you looked at his black eye, the scratches on his face and hands, and you felt bad for him instead of yourself. He gently wrapped his arms around you, hugging you close and drinking in your scent before leaning back and grabbing an oversized shirt from the counter. He carefully put it on you, swooping you up into his arms before walking out of the door.

"Audrey... is Audrey okay?" You sighed against his neck, hiding your face from the world.

"Look," Dan softly said, and you turned. You saw Audrey in her dad's arms, and Arin was holding onto the guy that had raped you.

"Turns out he only had eight guys with him. It was a lot easier than we thought." Suzy said, wiping fresh blood from her cheek. "This is the guy who confronted us and took our shit."

"That... he... he's the one." You muttered to Dan, who gently placed you on the ground. Holly ran at you, hugging you lovingly. Dan blinked in understanding and nodded to Arin, who quickly silenced the man's pleading by brutally stabbing him in the head. The man fell limp onto the sand and you quickly walked to Brian and Audrey.

"Audrey, are you okay? Did anyone hurt or touch you?"

"No." She simply said, looking wide-eyed at you. You sighed in relief and smiled, but Brian looked at you suspiciously as the entire gang surrounded you three.

"What happened?" Brian asked you, and you looked down.

"H-He walked into the trailer and said he was going to kill us, starting with Audrey. I pleaded for him to not, and then, I agreed for him to have his way with me if it meant Audrey was okay." You stammered. Brian's eyes grew wide and he suddenly hugged you, whispering how sorry he was. Everyone in the group looked downcast, and Brian gently released you from the hug. The crickets began to drone on again, and you looked back at the trailer.

"Come on guys, let's take our stuff back to camp. Split up in groups of two." Arin carefully said, walking off towards a random trailer. People started to break off from the group and Dan softly wrapped his arm around you, leading you away into another trailer. You rummaged through cabinets with Dan by your side, glancing at you occasionally. Your fingertips brushed against something cold and you gripped it, pulling it out. You took one look and felt immediately sick, looking at the handheld camera in your hands. Dan looked over and moved closer, looking down.

"What is it, Y/N?"

You turned it on and selected the video file, hitting the play button and showing him. Voices echoed in the small trailer as he watched it with a growing frown. He didn't watch it for long to grow sick of it and quickly snatch the camera from your hands. He pressed a couple buttons and deleted the entire video, closing it and shoving the camera into his own bag. He brought you into another hug and sighed softly against your ear.

"I'm so sorry, Y/N. Please, never leave my side."

"Okay, Dan." You replied, wrapping your arms around his neck and closing your eyes, feeling like your hero was slowly becoming your prince.


	4. Blossoming

It was only another week after the incident. Dan had started to sleep closer to you, sometimes ending up with his arms wrapped around you in a protective hug. Here and there, you heard whispers and rumors amongst the small group, but you didn't say anything in retaliation. You guys made it half-way through Arizona, trying to avoid Phoenix as much as humanly possible. But, you were getting into the mountainous parts, and the only way to get through them was by taking a valley. So, the group began their journey through what seemed like an endless valley of rock, desert, and no signs of life.

Yes, it was the apocalypse, but there were absolutely no biters around anymore. You did happen to see a lot of dead ones laying about here and there, probably melted by the sun's insistent heat. There were also lots of skeletons around, but the more you saw corpses, the more you stopped caring about the biters and their past lives. You finally began to understand what they were; monsters. Nothing more and nothing less.

Nestled deep into the valley, the group finally found a creek. You went in groups, girls, boys, and Audrey accompanied you with the other girls.

"So," Holly addressed, not really afraid of exposing herself as she ran her fingers through her dirt-coated hair. Her roots were growing in, which looked incredibly pretty on her. "You and Dan?"

"What about me and Dan?" You nervously asked, helping Audrey wash herself with a small washcloth.

"You guys have gotten incredibly close ever since the predicament last week." Suzy added. "I always hoped Dan would find someone."

"It's not like that." You said while rolling your eyes, Audrey giggling and splashing the cool water around.

"Then, how is it?" Holly replied.

"Uhg, we're just friends!"

"Sure you are. Come on, you guys sleep side-by-side."

"Because he thinks I'm still terrified and can't sleep alone."

"So, he's all protective of you because..?"

"Because we're friends." You said with a small smile, leaning up and finally managing to wash your small scratches with the crystal clear water. Suzy and Holly fell silent as Audrey ran around in the water, swimming some of the time, and splashing the other girls. You heard laughter behind your back and you turned, watching them play with Audrey. Audrey ran up to you and wrapped her arms around you in a sweet hug and you laughed, patting her back gently.

"Aunt Y/N, look at what I can do!" Audrey squealed as she dunked her head, re-surfacing with water running down her face. You had a short fit of giggles and you brushed her wet hair out of her face.

"I bet that's refreshing."

Audrey nodded happily and when everyone was ready, you helped her get dressed then got dressed yourself into some fresh clothes. On the way back to camp, the girls leaned in and talked to you yet again.

"Dan's such a romantic kind of guy, you know?" Holly said as you held Audrey on your hip, who seemed a lot sleepier than earlier. "He's a wonderful guy, and once he loves a person, it's hard for him to get out of that sappy state." She laughed. Suzy nodded in agreement.

"Him and Arin are like brothers, it's so sweet how well they get along together."

"Guys, I'm just not interested like that."

"Are you sure that you're not, or you're just afraid that he won't feel that way?" Suzy asked softly, not trying to pry.

You fell silent, not sure how to answer that question. The only reason you think you weren't romantically interested in Dan was because of the situation you guys were in. You figured getting intimately involved with someone was the last thing on your mind, with the biters being first. But, you hardly saw the biters roaming around in an Arizona desert, so, what came next on that list?

Not much, you could guarantee. You looked away awkwardly, with a smile.

"I think both of us feel that way. He probably thinks of me as a sister, or something." You waved your hand. It's not that it hurt you to think of that, it just sort of disappointed you. "And what if something happens to him? I don't think I could live with myself."

"So you're just willing to give up any chance with him because you're afraid of losing him?" Suzy asked, eyes wide now. "That's like if I broke up with Arin for the same reason. It's not about the end, it's about what happens in between. And besides," She glanced up at the sky that was now dotted with stars. "we all die eventually. It's better to make the best of things before that happens."

You blinked and looked down, quiet for the rest of the way to the camp. Suzy was completely right, but your heart hurt thinking about losing Dan. This entire week, actually, your mind has been almost only on the fact you didn't want to get too close to the group. You started to make yourself think life was pointless, and you definitely didn't want to lose anyone too special to your heart. You were giving up, to say the least.

When you returned to camp, you put down Audrey, who ran to Brian and gave him a big hug. Dinner was served and you took a couple bites before staring at it solemnly and giving it to Audrey. She seemed very excited about this, but you've been doing it the entire week. You didn't feel like eating at all anymore, and you were growing weaker by the day. You were glad that at least Audrey was getting a full helping, you wanted to ensure she'd grow up big and strong. Nobody seemed to notice that you weren't eating, so you seemed pretty happy about that.

Then, people went to sleep. You tried, you really did, but the second you woke up, you were met with Dan's adorable sleeping face. You looked at it for a second before sitting up and searching through his bag, pulling out the camera and standing up. You heard a voice gently ask your name.

"Y/N?"

"Oh, Arin." You said, turning and facing him, the camera shoved out of his line of sight.

"You alright?"

"I'm fine, thanks. Just want a short walk, you know? Can't sleep and all that. I'll bring my crowbar."

Arin gave you a suspicious face, raising one eyebrow and examining your body language. "I'm not so sure..."

"Please, Arin, it's what I do when I can't sleep."

"Fine, but be back in a bit, okay? Or we'll have to go searching for you."

"That's fine, thanks." You said calmly, turning and briskly walking away with your backpack and crowbar and everything. You walked away into the underbrush, feeling how cold it actually was at night, the air chilling your exposed skin. You saw a small hill of rocks up ahead and carefully climbed up, getting to the flat surface and then collapsing on your back, staring up at the stars. You finally leaned up and rested your backpack under your head, taking out the camera and turning it on. It filmed a couple of seconds of wide open sky and then you pointed it to your face.

"This is so awkward for me," You laughed, looking into the camera lens and then back up at the sky, "but I'm sure it's much more awkward for you. Whoever's watching this, anyway."

You sighed softly, staring up at the stars and connecting the twinkling dots with your own two eyes and imaginary lines. "I don't know who you are, if it's Dan, or someone else in my group. But, just know that if you're watching this... I'm probably dead." You looked down, at the camera now with saddened eyes. "I'm thinking this will be my first and last video. I don't know if I can handle this anymore. I've not been eating, ever since I was raped. I've felt too sick to do anything, even talk. I put up this fake face-" You frown, getting upset now and feeling hot tears roll down your cheeks. "-and I just realize how much I want to die."

"God fucking dammit," You groaned, wiping your face. "I'm such a pussy, I know. I want out of this world so bad, and I-I don't know what to do or where to go. I keep having these thoughts that I'm worthless, I can't do anything right. I'm like a walking bad luck charm." You shuddered, fumbling with a pocket knife, watching the knife pop out and then you would push it back in, as if it's your brain telling you that you knew better.

"I'm so fucking stupid!" You cried, the knife popping open due to your carelessness and you managed to catch yourself on tape cutting your finger open. You squeaked in sudden pain and you dropped the knife, watching small droplets of red blood sparkle on the rocks. Unsure what to do with a giant hole in your finger, you quickly shoved your index finger in your mouth and you tasted the thick iron flavor that washed over your tongue.

"Y/N?" Someone said suddenly behind you. You looked at them and pulled your finger out of your mouth suddenly, eyes wide. Dan's worrisome expression met yours and he quickly walked up behind you, kneeling down.

"What are you doing out here? What happened to your finger?"

"D-Dan, please..." You said quickly as he saw the camera, giving you a frown, and picking it up. He saw it was recording, stopped the recording, and then pushed you back as you tried to snatch the camera away from him. He played it back, watching intently.

"-I'm probably dead." The recording finally said, and Dan's eyes looked at you before going back down to the recording. Hearing your sorry voice rant about wishing for death made you want to slam your head against a wall angrily. Why did it have to be Dan to discover your suicide video? You began to cry again and the recording finally stopped, Dan put the camera down and brought you into a sudden hug. He squeezed you so tightly, he didn't threaten to let go of you for all of eternity. He leaned back and gave you this look with those big puppy dog eyes.

"Don't look at me with those eyes." You warned, looking away. He took your chin and moved your head to face him again.

"Y/N, I care about you so much. You're amazing, sweet, and so kind to everybody around you. You don't do anything except see the good in others, and that's why I like you so much."

"What?" You said in sudden surprise.

"Let me take five seconds to be serious," He said, as if it was something he had said all his life, "Suicide's a terrible thing, and it accomplishes nothing. I just want you to know that there is no, no reason to kill yourself. At all. And I mean that, from the bottom of my heart. We all have broken and rough patches, and life is very, very hard, and I know you're in a rough chapter right now in your life. But, if you cut that off, you don't get to have those other chapters where you may find happiness waiting for you." Dan ran his hands through your hair, and the tears began to grow larger as they ran down your cheeks. "It's just so, so important to get help if you need it. And just know that I love you, and I will keep supporting you no matter what."

You hugged him close again, and he let out a sudden breath of surprise. Your tears soaked his shirt and you clutched him close, feeling his large hands run up and down your back, trying to comfort you to the best of his ability. After getting soothed, you leaned back and wiped your face. He smiled and watched you as you hid it from him.

"I look ugly after I cry." You complained.

"Don't be ridiculous." Dan said, taking your hands in his own. He released one and took the camera, starting a new video. He pointed the camera at you with a smile, speaking with a soft tone. "Y/N, look at me."

"Wh- no! Don't point that thing at me, I look gross!" You half-laughed, covering your face. He tickled your side and you burst out in giggles, your hands dropping to your side and trying to pry him away.

"Look how pretty you are! Good lord, there is no woman in the world who can even come close to comparing to you."

"That's a lie."

"That's the truth, Y/N." Dan said, his eyes staring into yours. He created this emotion, this little bubble in your heart that kept expanding and filling you with warmth. you laughed slowly and raised your shoulders in an embarrassed shrug. He sat down next to you and pointed the camera lens at the two of you together.

"Can you smile, at the very least?"

"No way." You hid your face behind his shoulder. He laughed and his cheeks reddened as he pulled you towards the camera, one arm wrapped around you. Your heart skipped a beat as you leaned in close, your lips pressing to his briefly before you pulled away.

"Thank you, Danny."

He blinked in astonishment as you stood up, collecting your things and walking to the edge of the rock. "You coming?" You called, looking at his still surprised face. He blinked back into reality and nodded.

"Uh- yeah! Sorry." He pointed the camera down and turned off the recording, standing up and following after you, back to camp.

You managed to get some sleep, after Dan force-fed you. Dan also fell asleep right next to you, his arms wrapped around you yet again. And you didn't mind much anymore, nuzzling his palm and getting some sweet sleep.

When you woke up in the morning, things seemed like they were back to normal. Dan was filming the group, laughing and showing everyone and talking to the camera like he was vlogging or something. He pointed it at you and grinned, his brown eyes all shiny with adoration.

"And here's the lovely Y/N! Don't be fooled, she can kick some biter ass!"

"I wouldn't say that." You laughed nervously, looking away from the lens. Dan wrapped his arm around you and pulled you close, pointing the camera at the two of you. Meanwhile, Suzy snapped a photo and you had to get onto her about it.

The entire day seemed like a break. A break from your emotions, a break from your mind trying to bog you down. It was fun and lighthearted, and you enjoyed every little moment of it. That was, until the group ran across a small town that seemed abandoned way before the apocalypse began. It was small, country, and looked absolutely western. Something you'd see in a stupid cliche western movie.

"We should split in groups." Arin suggested, but Suzy intervened when making the groups.

"Me and Arin will scope out the houses in the west. Ross and Holly can go check out bigger buildings, like pubs and stuff. Brian, you take Audrey and check the east houses. Dan and Y/N can look at the north houses. We'll meet back here noon tomorrow."

"Noon tomorrow?" Ross asked with a frown. "Why so long?"

You knew why. Suzy was trying to hook you and Dan up by giving you time, but of course that wasn't the reason she said.

"Oh, to give you all some time to loot. If there's any issues, shoot into the air, okay?"

The whole group murmured in agreement as people parted off with their partners. You and Dan walked quietly towards the northern side of town, looking at the multiple lines of houses.

"So, where should we start?"

"I suppose we'll go down the line." Dan suggested, walking down the dirt road and you followed close behind in pursuit. The first couple of houses didn't have much to offer, and the sun was already getting low in the sky since you spent the entire day traveling already. By the fifth house, you and Dan stopped to rest for the night and it was growing cold quickly in the desert outside. The two of you began to drink alcohol that you scored in a previous house, your mind slowing down and becoming dizzy and drunk.

"So, when am I going to get to hear you sing a song?" You slurred happily.

"I could now if you want."

"Sure." You mused, watching as he stood up and tied a blanket around his neck as a cape. You giggled and he pulled his hair out of his tangled ponytail and then he made a stance, probably hearing the song inside his head right now.

Then, he began to talk.

"Hey, Ninja Brian, I made a time machine spaceship. You, uh, wanna go on it? Yeah, okay, cool."

You watched him as he began to sing his song, and something tells you that he's very in character right now. As he sang throughout 6969, you listened in to the storyline and plot as much as marveled at how beautiful his voice actually was. About halfway through the song, he glanced at you and held a hand to his chest.

"Ninja Brian, look at that girl with the sad eyes and the beautiful H/C hair. I'm immediately in love!" He claimed as he extended his arm to you, taking your hand and pulling you up to take his hands.

"Dan- no!" You cried as he began to dance with you, his voice trailing off as he couldn't contain his laughter. He resumed at a rather awkward part.

"We're having sex now-" Dan started, his cheeks growing red. Your eyes widened as you watched him definitely become more embarrassed with the lyrics. "To, uh, change the w-world." He hesitantly sang, not making eye contact. Your heart nearly leapt out of your chest trying to make him look at you, and then finally you cut off his song by pressing your lips to his. Almost instantly, he kissed you back, his hands withdrawing from yours and pulling your lower back closer to him. He tasted like sweetly aged beer and you pressed your face closer to his, passionately gasping for air the second you broke from his lips. You stumbled away from him a bit, unsure of what just happened.

"I-I'm sorry." You fumbled over your words. He said something softly to himself and untied the blanket, laying it down on the wooden floor and then laying down. He glanced over at you and you felt this burning sensation in your chest, you immediately walked up to him and straddled him, kissing him again. He didn't even hesitate, instead he just began to make out with you, your lips locked against his and his tongue battling yours for dominance. He won, to say the least, and he flipped you onto your back, his hand racing up your shirt and firmly grasping your breast. You let out a short gasp, panicking.

"No!" You squeaked suddenly and he jerked away from you, sitting up and realizing what he had done. He blinked and groaned, running a hand through his hair.

"I'm sorry, Y/N... I didn't mean to."

Then, he quickly turned over and faced away from you, falling asleep rather quickly. You began to regret saying 'no,' but that deep dark fear of the last time lingered in your mind like a bad taste.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hoo boy!!! That was mighty cute, but all good things must come to an end. :'(


	5. You

Noon came a lot quicker than you thought it would. The silence between you and Dan had grown so much, you weren't sure if he was even able to talk anymore. You were sure he also remembered what happened last night, and you desperately wanted to bring it up. You wanted to talk about it.

Dan had no right to say he cared about you and then ignore you the next day. You felt disappointed, and most of all; slightly heartbroken. It's not that you liked Dan or anything, you just wanted him to truly show he cared about you. You were starting to get restless, but you met up with the others and they shared their spoils with the entire group. Everyone managed to gather more canned foods, medical supplies, the usual things. Then, the group continued on into the valley.

"So?" Suzy said, slowing down beside you. Holly did too, grinning at this high-school-like gossip. You sighed and crosses your arms, going on ahead and telling them what had happened in a low tone, Dan walking up front with Arin and you weren't too sure about raising your voice.

"And he's been ignoring me ever since."

"He's going at this completely wrong." Holly criticized with a big frown. "He needs to man up and accept the fact you're not going to have this hot moment with him after such a terrible incident."

"It's not that, it's just... he probably feels led on." You trailed off, looking away and rubbing your arm.

"It's not your fault, Y/N!" Suzy said quickly. "Don't start thinking that it's your fault. Dan's just... he takes things personally, even though he doesn't say anything."

"It is my fault, though." You sighed dejectedly. "I couldn't give him what he wanted and its because I flipped out on him."

"Because your body just hasn't healed yet." Suzy said softly, resting a hand on your shoulder as you walked. Holly gently wrapped her arms around you in a hug. You hugged her back, feeling your throat tighten.

Why, why did you feel this way? You wanted Dan to accept you, to talk to you, you wanted his attention. You felt your chest ache when you thought about Dan's smile, Dan's eyes laid on you. It's only been a couple of weeks, but you've felt so close to him in these little moments. And you felt bad that you couldn't give him what he wanted. What he truly desired last night, it just seemed too much for you. Or was he just drunk? Did he not actually feel the same way at all, and was he just there for you, because you were convenient?

You wanted to cry. You had so many questions, but the way about it wasn't to cry, despite wanting to. You had to talk to Dan, you had to reassure his feelings for you. But, things weren't that easy. Trying to talk to Dan was probably one of the most difficult things to do, and although he slept by your side that night, his back was turned towards your face.

You traced almost every curl on his head before you could fall asleep, your mouth dry and tasting like sand. All you asked for was a moment to talk to him, and you were afraid that you wouldn't get to have it at all.  
It took a week and a half to finish going through Arizona. New Mexico was pretty much the same, with endless desert and not enough water to go around. It was getting so difficult to get water, and Audrey had started to complain a little more, although she was the one who got the most water.

You sighed and dragged your feet behind yourself, feeling the hot sun beat down on your shoulders. Summer was a horrible time to be traveling through a desert with no water around, and you were really feeling weak.

"Y/N? Are you okay?" You heard someone ask, looking up at Suzy. She seemed concerned, but your vision was blurry and you felt like you were going to vomit.

"I'm uh- I'm okay." You lied.

"No, something's wrong. Hey, guys, can we stop?"

"No, that'll make it worse. No, no." You repeated yourself over and over, a symptom of you probably going to throw up. You collapsed nearly the second Suzy's arm wrapped around you and she brought you to the ground gently as the others surrounded you. You saw Dan watch your miserable self, which was more incentive to vomit. You leaned over and Brian covered Audrey's eyes before you heaved and threw up in the sand, feeling tears escape your eyes.

"No, no." You whined, coughing as Suzy ran her fingers through your hair. Holly pressed the back of her hand to your head and quickly looked up.

"She's severely dehydrated! We have to get some water, quick." Holly shouted to the others, who scrambled to pull together the littlest amount of water. You were forcefully given the water to drink, which you almost wanted to throw back up, but you suppressed it and felt dazed.

"Danny- don't look." You groaned, covering your face. He blinked and kneeled down next to you, placing cool hands against your cheeks. You tried to tear away from him, but he was trying to cool you down the best he could. "No, don't... I'm gross."

"Don't be ridiculous." Dan said softly in return, before you quickly passed out. Dan looked at the others, who seemed panicked, and he hauled you onto his back quickly in one swoop.

"Check the map for a nearby river." He commanded to Arin, who nodded and told him about a smaller river a couple miles away, so the group made their way to that exact location.

When you came to your senses, it was the evening. You heard the wild nightlife humming quietly first, then the crackle of a fire. You felt much chillier now, since it was nightfall. You leaned up and looked around. Brian and Audrey were both asleep, Ross keeping watch, and Dan was sitting up by your side.

"Looks like someone's finally awake." Dan said with a smile. You just groaned in response, looking away, completely embarrassed.

"I can't believe you had to see me like that earlier."

"Nothing I haven't dealt with." Dan stood up, pulling you up with him. "We're at a river, the girls said it would be best if you bathed for a bit to cool down. We have some more drinking water, too."

"Where are they?" You asked as he led the way to the bank of the river, a couple minutes away from camp.

"They're out with Arin scouting the area."

He stood at the bank, listening to the river water splash gently due to a calm breeze. You stood there, glancing at him awkwardly, as if to say, 'You just gonna stand there, or..?'

"Well, I'm not leaving you. We've encountered a couple of biters while you were out, I'm not letting you out of my sight."

"B-But..."

"Y/N." Dan said suddenly with a semi-stern tone. "I don't mind seeing you naked, it's my job to defend you if anything happens. That's all."

"Right." You said quietly after some reconciliation. You carefully dropped your clothes, your ears growing red hot as you quickly ran into the water to cover yourself. Almost instantly, you felt relieved. The coolness of the water definitely helped, and you ran water in your hair, cooling down your head. Dan watched you with a small smile and you looked up at him, your cheeks flushing.

"I'm so uncomfortable."

"I know you are. If you want, I could join you? Make you feel even?"

"No." You replied, your fingers making little ringlets on the surface of the river. You didn't want a repeat of a week or so ago, and you definitely didn't want Dan to have to clarify how much he didn't have a crush on you. It pained you to think it, but he probably was being incredibly platonic. In the corner of your eye, you watched him sit down with a gun in his hand.

"Dan?" You asked and he looked back at you, his eyes tracing your figure before quickly returning to your eyes.

"Yeah?"

"I wanted to talk to you. About that night."

"What about it?" Dan asked, almost seeming like he lost interest in your face as he looked away and gave a sort of uncomfortable face. No matter how he felt, you had to talk about it with him.

"What happened... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to freak out on you, it wasn't you. It's just my brain sort of flashed back and I couldn't function right, so I yelled and it didn't end well."

"It's fine, really. It's not like I was super disappointed or anything."

"So, you don't like me?" Your voice faltered and seemed to drop, just like your heart had.

"I-It's not like that!" He stammered. "I-I just... It wasn't something super important to me. I would've, uhm," He cleared his throat strangely, "liked to continue, but I knew I passed that boundary."

"But- Dan..." You frowned, walking up to him. Suddenly, he acted like the world's biggest virgin as he nervously looked away from your so-obvious lady parts. "I need to know if you like me. Or, were you doing that because you feel lonely? Because you're hoping it'll be a one-time thing?"

"God, no!" Dan exclaimed, suddenly staring into your eyes with his own. "I-I mean, I wouldn't use you like that. I'll be honest, Y/N. You're so perfect, I couldn't help but develop feelings for you."

"That's all I wanted to hear." You sighed dreamily, a relief crashing over you like a tidal wave. Then, you felt this flirtatious feeling that just seemed to move your body on its own. You wrapped your arms around his neck and pulled him into a sweet kiss, something that felt so natural by now. Dan blinked and quickly shut his eyes, his hands resting on your sides as they skimmed your nude skin. He trailed small circles on your waist and he didn't move his hands whatsoever, until you grew bored and placed one of his hands lightly against your breast.

"Y-Y/N." Dan shuddered, his hand automatically pleasuring you and his thumb running across your skin, creating goosebumps in its wake. You sensually moaned in his ear and he quickly grabbed your shoulders, leaning you back. "We... shouldn't do this here. We need to get back to camp."

"You're right." You said, still in that sticky sweet romantic trance. He helped dress you, his fingers careful and delicate with you, not trying to act rough at all. He led you back to the group, and the rest of them were already there with a giant grin on their faces.

"Y/N, you're awake! How are you feeling?" Holly asked.

"Much better, thank you guys so much. I'm sorry I was in a bad state earlier."

"Don't blame yourself." Ross said with a warm smile, looking up from the sketchbook. "I think we all were getting pretty bad."

"Yeah." The group laughed, joking and just talking until people one-by-one grew sleepy. It was Dan's turn to take watch, so you laid your head down on his lap and he stroked his fingers through your soft and damp hair until you fell asleep peacefully.

Waking up was the best thing ever. All your life, you felt like something was missing when you woke up in the morning. You felt incomplete, but not the cliche sort of 'two halves make a whole,' sort of way. It was just, you felt a lot more alone than you did now. Waking up, you felt Dan's entire body pressed against you and your face was buried in his chest. No matter how you slept in the past, you slept the deepest last night because when he moved, you hadn't woken up. You saw that he was still asleep, and you grinned, just watching him with a half-asleep expression. You heard someone whisper your name.

"Y/N." Said the timid voice behind you. You saw Suzy sitting up, taking watch, and she had a smug look on her face.

"Oh, shut up." You rolled your eyes at her and Dan mumbled, frowning in his sleep and pulling you absolutely closer. You let out a small squeak and heard Suzy burst out in small giggles and you flushed a dark color, feeling Dan slightly shift in his sleep. You turned to face him and watched how his eyes fluttered open slowly. It took him a bit to wake up, but the second his eyes laid on you, all half-lidded and sleep-ridden, a smile appeared on his face.

"Heyy, you're awake."

"Yeah." You nervously said, your heart skipping a beat.

"Sorry, I get cuddly when I sleep."

"No problem." You shrugged as his arms released you and he pushed himself to sit up, he saw Suzy and greeted her warmly before standing and stretching, a yawn crossing his face as you stood up beside him, trying not to catch the contagious yawn.

The river was surrounded by thick trees and bushes, so it wasn't irregular to hear a twig snap. You drew your crowbar, already alert. Dan rested his hand on your shoulder, but you brushed it off to go investigate the noise. He stayed close behind. You frowned, seeing nothing, and losing your easy composure. Dan walked up to your side, placing his hands on his hips.

"We're alone now." Dan shot you a goofy smile and you rolled your eyes.

"You're not wrong." You said, exchanging a flirtatious expression with him before you saw something in the corner of your eye. You yelped in surprise as whatever it was barreled into you, holding onto your shoulders with scrawny, rotten hands. You panicked, a biter was literally on your back, pinning you down. It tried to bite at you, but Dan swung his foot so far back that when he made impact on it's skull, it flew off your back. Still in a daze, a gunshot rang in your ears and you saw that the biter had been defeated, Dan's arm falling limp by his side and he whirled around to face you.

"Are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine." You stammered as you took his hand, him pulling you up and dusting the sand off your clothes. You groaned, rubbing your head. "Just a little confused, that's all."

"Yeah, he kind of came out of nowhere." Dan sighed, wiping the blood from his boot onto the sand. "Are you sure you didn't get hurt anywhere?"

You didn't feel any pain in particular, so you were certain. But a question lingered in your mind, plaguing your thoughts as the silence pursued on. You uttered it to Dan, mostly. "What would you do if I was?"

"Answer the question, Y/N."

"What would you do, if I was?" You repeated, more sternly this time. Dan's eyes met yours and it seemed as if he didn't want to really think of it happening.

"I- uh... I'll help you."

"How? What if something like that happens?"

"It won't." Dan said, wrapping his arms protectively around you. "I won't let it happen."

"You can't control that! You'd have to- to... kill me." You said, a big frown on your face. Dan's eyes showed only one emotion; fear. And it hurt to see him like that. Imagining that scenario must be hard for him.

"I couldn't."

"You would have to. I would want you to." You said, sighing and bumping your head softly against his chest. "I'm okay, though. Don't worry, Danny."

You felt Dan's heart skip a beat. It was probably him reacting to you calling him Danny in a sweet tone, something you loved to do purely to watch his expression. You made things awkward, no doubt, but cuddling against him lowered the tensity of the situation. His hands slowly snaked down your back, his fingertips brushing against your ass. Chills went up your spine, causing your heart to speed up nervously. You heard Suzy call for you and Dan, so you quickly broke away from him and returned to camp, saying that it was just a biter.

And it didn't take long, but the desert faded into forest. The group was relieved that there was finally rivers more often and lots of plants and animals to benefit them. Your relationship with Dan was sort of in this awkward stage where the two of you were intimate, but you weren't sure if he truly had these complicated feelings that you were experiencing. Also, Dan explained about his heat stroke problem, suffering a little bit more day by day, but ever since the group reached the forest, he was immediately showing signs of getting better. It also wasn't often that you checked your phone, but the battery was slowly draining and you felt like you were clinging onto that sliver of old society.

Wait.

What?

You stared in shock at your phone. It was easily on 26%, but something immediately caught your attention that you had to stop walking and focus really hard on. Was it just your imagination, was it the heat getting to you? The group slowed down and stopped, looking at you curiously.

"What's the matter, Y/N?"

"I have bars. On my phone. Real bars."

"Holy shit." Arin said, walking up to you and glancing over your shoulder, looking at it and definitely confirming you weren't crazy. "You're right. Then, that means there has to be a working cell tower around here."

"But, that's impossible." Suzy frowned. "Unless the cell tower's been working by itself for a month."

"It might not be by itself." Arin said, his eyes wide. "We've got to find wherever it is. It has to be close by, anyway."

And, the entire group was in on looking for it. Those who could climb trees, like Dan, kept searching and you noticed at some point that his hands were red with small bloody scratches from the rough bark. You took his hand before he could haul himself up onto another branch and he whirled around, looking at you curiously.

"Dan, your hands."

"Oh, don't worry about me. It'll be worth it if we can find something good."

"You know what Arin's hoping to find?"

"No idea, but the best we can get is probably a connection to try and contact someone. I'm not too sure how well that would work, though." He said as he finally lugged himself up the tree, leaving you alone at the trunk. You heard moaning not too far off and turned around, seeing a female biter limping towards you with a missing arm. She rose her one hand at you and gurgled, giving you an irreplaceable panic in your chest before you raised your crowbar, swinging it like a bat and hitting her, but she hardly stumbled. Her fish-like eyes fixated on yours and you felt a sudden pang in your chest, as if you thought a portion of her old self was just staring into you. You froze for a second, and she grew closer, her jaw snapping at you and causing you to blink back into reality.

You let out a huff and hit her in the head, sending her falling limply to the ground. You sighed and pulled out a smaller knife on your hip, sliding it easily into her skull and leaving her dead on the ground before you heard Dan calling your name frantically. You looked at him as he joyously tumbled down the tree, nearly leaping into your arms.

"Get the others! I found a town with a fence around it, and I think I saw people inside."

"Wait, really? Are you sure they weren't biters?"

"They were walking pretty normal, from what I could tell. It'll explain the cell tower, they're powering it on their own!"

"Holy shit." You grinned, smiling even though you had a terrible feeling about it all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OHHH!!! It's about to get good. Very good.


	6. Burning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Slightly NSFW, nothing graphic, just talks about like boobs n' stuff.

"We have rules before we enter. Whoever they are, we're going to do what they want us to do. No doubt about it." Arin said, facing the group only five minutes away from the tall fences of the community.

"But, what if they're dangerous?" You ask worriedly.

"That's a risk we're going to have to take. And besides, we always have each other. If anything happens, we're to meet in this exact spot, where the dead tree is. We're going to see if we can stay awhile and rest up, making allies is something very preferable."

"I really don't know about this." You said, and Brian rested his hand on your shoulder.

"Y/N, I know it's going to be hard to get used to this, but I really think it's worth a shot."

"Right, then. Everybody, be ready to drop your weapons. You all know the drill." Arin said, turning and leading the group to the fence. Your stomach did somersaults trying to figure out if it was a good idea, and usually your gut was the right one in almost every situation. And your gut said something was wrong. As the group approached the gate, you saw guards peeking above the fence holding up their guns.

"Who are you?" Asked one, a strong male.

"We're travelers. We don't want to hurt you at all, we just need a place to rest. Please, we have a child with us."

Audrey sort of shrank down timidly, afraid of the big scary men with the guns. The men exchanged glances and one disappeared, coming back five minutes later and the gate opened slowly. People surrounded your group slowly, holding up their obviously better weaponry and telling you to drop your weapons. So, you all did. Even the small weapons. You were giving all of these strangers a chance to really kill all of you. You were allowed to come in after your weapons were collected, and they still held up their guns defensively.

"Travelers?" Asked a smaller woman wearing nice clothes, smelling like freshly burnt wood and a gentle perfume, something very unfamiliar to your nose. Now that you think about it, you probably haven't touched perfume or deodorant the entire time you were with the others. Now, it embarrassed you to think about how not-sexy it was when Dan cradled you and probably smelled how rank you really were.

"Yeah, we came from California, on our way to Arkansas. We wanted to know if we could rest here for at least a week, we just need to get back on our feet. We have a dehydrated child with us, and one of our members is prone to heat strokes, we can't be outside too long." Arin said. You nearly protested, a week? You thought you agreed to only a couple of days. A week could get you into Texas, easily. But, you did have to consider Dan and Audrey's conditions. Them being outside in the hot sun all day long wasn't good, and you decided to shut your trap before you said anything you'd regret. A younger girl, who looked very alike to the woman, walked up behind the woman and stared at the group with wide eyes.

"They should stay." The girl finally said, with a small smile. "Plus, look at that cute little girl! We don't have any small kids here in the community."

The woman hesitated. "We have a couple of houses available, but you're going to be under surveillance. We won't be afraid to take drastic measures." The woman threatened, and you swallowed heavily. "Jace, Nora," she motioned to two people holding guns. "show them to the two houses on Willow Lane. Arrange shifts for guards."

"T-Thank you so much!" Arin said with a giant smile.

"We'll talk after you have settled in." The woman said, turning her back to the group as it was led off by the two appointed soldiers. They showed off the nicely-decorated houses, one had two bedrooms and the other had four, so you just went with the two-bedroom house, being more comfortable in a smaller house. Apparently, they felt more comfortable with people pairing up, so you were of course placed with Dan in a room, with Arin and Suzy in the other. Holly, Ross, Brian, and Audrey were all placed in the other house right next door, so you separated from them, walking into the clean house, feeling like you were going to dirty it up just by standing around.

"We have running water and working electricity, please don't be afraid to use our facilities." Nora said calmly, her gun still gripped tightly. "There will be guards placed outside the houses until you're deemed trustworthy enough, then you won't have to be escorted places. Agnes is our leader, the woman you saw earlier. She runs the place perfectly, and she'll have a word with all of you once you're settled in well. Extra clothes will arrive shortly." She continued, walking out and leaving the utilities to yourselves. You immediately turned to Arin the second the door shut behind Nora.

"What the hell were you thinking? Staying here for a week? That's way too long!"

"What do you mean?" Arin frowned. "It seems almost too short to me. Don't forget, we're living in the lap of luxury right now."

"I'm just saying, in a week we could be in Texas. We'd be so close to home-"

"You're only thinking of yourself. Some of us need a break from travelling a month through nothing but nature."

Suzy gently took Arin's arm. "Guys, there's no point in fighting. We've come so far already, okay? We don't need people to start arguing."

"She's right, you guys. We're here because they trust us." Dan said, looking down at you mostly. You hated how he took Arin's side, but you weren't giving up just yet.

"Yeah, because they took our weapons." You protested.

"It's not like we'll need them, the fences are tall." Suzy said joyfully. "We'll be safe. And it's like Arin said, Y/N. We can make allies and get supplies. This is a great time for us!"

"Sure." You rolled your eyes. You walked away, touring through the house and claiming a bedroom, but it didn't matter much, since both of the beds in both of the rooms were doubles. You wanted to throw yourself onto it, but you knew better than to get it dirty. You searched through the drawers and closet, but they were emptied out and you just felt like it was pointless. The first thing you wanted to do, though, was take a shower. With real, hot, running water.

You waited patiently for your clothes to arrive, and Nora ended up knocking on the front door with a pile of different types of clothes. She handed them to Dan, who gave them out to all the residents of the house, and then walked upstairs to meet with you. He handed you what seemed like a dress and gave you a cute smile. "If you want, we can wash together."

"I'm okay." You said, taking the dress and unfolding it, looking at it. You sighed, not really wanting to wear something since your legs were hairier than Chewbacca's. Dan looked disappointed, but you figured you'd take turns and you definitely didn't want him to see you in such an embarrassing way, all up close and steamy like that.

So, you took your shower, and you even got to shave your legs and armpits. It felt like a miracle, and when you rubbed your legs down with lotion, you felt like you lost ten pounds in hair. You walked out, wearing sandals and an off-shoulder blue dress with embroidery. It definitely was a new sight, when you looked in the mirror, probably feeling the cleanest you have in what felt like years. Then, you collapsed on your bed, sighing and drinking in the sweet linen scent. You could've passed out then and there, but Dan walked out of the bathroom shortly after going in and he wore a flannel, jeans, and rocked some tennis shoes. He looked so normal, it was awfully unusual. Dan laid down next to you, hugging you close and closing his eyes. You blushed and tried to push him off.

"What's the matter, Y/N?"

"Not in a cuddly mood." You complained, grinning as he pouted.

"You're not? But you're on a mattress, like the first one you've felt in a whole month. Aren't you in the least bit turned on for some cuddle action?"

"Maybe later, Danny."

Dan sighed dreamily and examined your outfit, a sudden smile coming to his face.

"I feel like everything is back to normal. You're wearing a cute dress, and I'm wearing clean clothes, and we're on a bed in a nicely furnished house, inside of a nice community."

"Don't forget the part where the dead come to life and try to eat you."

"You know," Dan said in a flirtatious tone, "I'd like to eat you, too."

"Danny!" You shouted, your face turning red. You grabbed a pillow and hit him square in the face with it and he fell back, laughing. You stood up and walked downstairs, seeing Suzy wear a black blouse with dark jeans. She looked so normal, too, it made you uneasy to see everyone so unfamiliarly dressed.

"Aww, Y/N, you look so cute! Arin's still in the shower, he's probably enjoying it a lot."

"I can't believe how ordinary everyone looks. I feel so strange."

"Did you and Dan take a shower together?" Suzy wriggled her eyebrows and you laughed, shaking your head and waving your hand.

"N-No! Although, he said something incredibly embarrassing and I had to escape that situation." You said, almost gloating. Someone knocked on your door and you perked up, answering the door. It was Nora, from earlier, who gave you a sweet smile.

"Hey, tell the others that Agnes wants to see you all. Come outside and we'll take you guys as a group."

"Right, thank you." You said formally, letting the others know quickly and as soon as you knew it, you were walking with the entire group, watching Audrey cling to her father wearing a cute striped dress with a tutu, something that fit her so adorably. You talked to her quietly, trying to convince her everything was okay.

You walked into a rather large house, seeing the living room right off the bat. Agnes, the small woman from earlier, sat in a chair that was nearly larger than her, and everyone sort of sat around the coffee table on the couches and loveseats. Nora and Jace stood carefully by the exit of the house, staring your group down.

"I see you all found some fitting clothes, that's good. I hope the child's dress is alright, we didn't have much to give to your girl. Anyways, as you may already know, I'm Agnes Baker. I pretty much run this entire community, which is named Skyline. My husband was attacked by a rotter early on and my daughter and I managed to guide this community into coming together. Speaking of, Serena, will you come in here?" She called out, cutting herself off and the gorgeous girl from earlier walked in. She had long blonde hair, tan skin, and brown eyes, resembling her mother quite a bit.

"Oh, hi everyone. I'm Serena." She said, as if you all didn't know. She was obviously younger than you, and you immediately didn't like her. She sat down on the only space, which was on the loveseat next to Dan and Brian, who had Audrey on his lap.

"What are your names?" Agnes asked, not particularly looking at anyone.

"Well, I'm Arin." Arin introduced, then began to point to people. "Holly, Ross, Y/N, Suzy, Dan, Brian, and Audrey."

"Right, it's nice to meet you all. And you said you were going to... where?"

"Arkansas." You said suddenly, itching to talk.

"What business do you have there?"

You wanted to retort and say that it wasn't any of her's to know, but you complied unwillingly. "I lived there before all this, and we're just getting away from all the biters in the cities, trying to get into the country."

"Well, this is probably the safest place you can get to."

You really doubted that.

"Really, Skyline is like a safe haven for pretty much everyone." Serena said, leaning over and resting her head on her palm, her dress rather flashy and definitely showing off her oversized breasts. "You guys seem so nice, I hope you all decide to stay." She glanced at Dan. Or, was that just you being jealous? Dan didn't seem to notice her at all, instead staring at you with a small smile. You returned it, but you were cut off by Agnes talking.

"We wouldn't mind giving you all a permanent place to stay, as long as you can contribute. And that's what we needed to talk about. We need to figure out a way for you all to pay us back."

"We'll do anything we're given, as long as it doesn't put us in danger. Like Dan- he has a sweat issue, where he could have a heat stroke if he's not careful."

"A sweat issue?" Serena asked, facing Dan, who was brushing against her exposed thighs. "Well, I am the doctor's apprentice, I should be able to help you out with it."

"That'd be very nice of you, thank you very much." Dan said with the same smile he gave to you not only seconds ago. You felt a burning sensation, but you repressed it and shoved it into the back of your mind. The rest of the meeting went pretty slowly, it was just Agnes talking about rules and such. Nothing too important to note, anyway. Since you didn't pay attention at all, that burning sensation really distracting you nearly the entire time. When you were all finally dismissed, it was pretty late and Nora and Jace escorted you back to your houses. They said that the fridge had dinner inside, so when you finally opened it to see mashed potatoes and carrots, you felt your stomach create fireworks. Warming it up did the trick, and it hit the spot.

Nighr began to fall rather quickly and you all had an outside curfew, which was before the moon appeared in the sky, which was 7 PM, something clearly depicted on the clocks on the walls that ticked even in the pure silence. You didn't want to hang around too long, so you went ahead and slowly moved up into your room. It was pretty hot, and you didn't want to go back downstairs to turn on the AC, so you slowly opened a window and sat at a chair, staring outside the window at the night sky. Crickets and cicadas sung their song, and you felt like a teenager again, staring out her window and just listening to the summer bugs sing while you missed your high school friends.

(I suggest listening to cricket/cicada noises on YouTube, gets you in the summer-y vibe and definitely helps set the mood! You can stop at any point you feel is necessary.)

The good thing about the insects was that they masked even the loudest of sounds like a heavy blanket, drowning them out and enveloping them with a soothing and peaceful lullaby. That's why you didn't hear the possible biters outside, and that's why you squealed in fear when you heard Dan call your name from the doorway. You whipped around and saw him standing in the doorway, dimly lit by the moonlight. He was holding his tennis shoes, setting them down by the door, closing it behind himself as he stared at you.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, just lost in thought." You began to play with your hair as a nervous reaction, always getting butterflies when you were alone with him. You had to admit, you've never done something like this before, even though you were already an adult long before the apocalypse began. He shuffled up to you, taking your hand away from your hair and pulling you to stand up.

"I hope you're alright with this situation."

"I won't lie, it's pretty nice to be inside of a house and listen to the noises outside. I used to do that all the time during the summer. I'd leave my window cracked just to hear them sing, it was the most peaceful thing in the world."

"That's so wholesome." Dan chuckled, his voice deep and tired. "You want to leave it open for tonight?"

"Yeah." You quietly nodded and he brushed your hair out of your face, focusing on your eyes. From the angle he was at, you could see his dark eyes shine in the faint moonlight and it just made him seem so dreamy, your heart felt as light as a feather. The two of you stood not in silence, but in the deep waters of the insect's song, and he gently brought his lips to yours, kissing you sweetly. You pulled him closer, returning the passionate kiss and feeling his hands run down your sides, resting on your hips.

"Danny." You sighed breathily as he unlocked his lips from yours, his curly tangles draping over your face and tickling it slightly. "I'm so happy."

"I'm glad." Dan said with a smile, then he gently led you to the bed.

That's right, you weren't quite given any clothes to sleep in. Or maybe you were and you didn't notice. Either way, your dress came right off due to a little tugging of Dan's hands. His fingertips roamed your body, feeling all the little bumps and curves and just memorizing you entirely.

"D-Danny, I don't want to go too far."

"I understand." He breathed against your neck, latching on and kissing you all over, his tongue caressing certain parts of your neck and causing your own breath to hitch in your throat. His mouth then began to run to the mounds of your breasts, as he placed delicate kisses against your plain black bra. It sent shivers up your spine and your knees rubbed together as his hands traced patterns on your bare skin. And just like that, Dan took off his jeans and his shirt and carefully tucked you under the blankets. He was done, and you really appreciated how gentle and caring he was. You weren't sure what this emotion was, but you wanted to spend every living moment with him, and you never wanted to leave his side. He then slowly climbed under the covers beside you, cuddling all up against you and wrapping his hands around your waist, laying on his right side.

"I've never slept next to a guy before."

"Really now?" Dan answered sleepily, and you heard him yawn behind you.

"Yeah. You'd think I would in high school, but I just didn't care too much for boys then."

"Was... was the incident your first time?" Dan stammered, not wanting to bring up anything too bad for you. But really, you didn't care about it now. All of those feelings and emotions had just sort of disappeared every second you spent with Dan, and you nodded in response.

"Yeah."

"I'm sorry, Y/N. I should've been there for you." He rested his forehead against your shoulder.

"Danny, no. Don't be sorry. I'm just so happy you saved me. From him and from myself."

Dan's eyes lit up as he looked at you, leaning in and kissing you softly again before he closed his eyes, mumbling something before falling asleep. You brushed his curly hair out of his face before burying your face in his fuzzy chest, closing your eyes and falling asleep pretty quickly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I literally wrote like two chapters in one night, so I'm just going to post this one and be done with it. This chapter was a lot of fun to write, especially the last bit with you and Dan. Definitely love how gentle he came off as.


	7. Relationship

You woke up to someone knocking on the door. You say up quickly, alert, and just heard Suzy's sweet voice behind the door.

"Y/N, Dan, breakfast is ready."

You groaned and collapsed backwards on your pillow, feeling tired as always. Dan's arm moved around you, hugging you softly as he looked so incredibly cute staring at you, covered in blankets and pillows.

"Good morning, baby." He said, his voice strangely lower than usual. Your heart fluttered and you recalled what had happened last night, causing your face to heat up. "That was the best sleep I've ever had, no doubt."

"I'm happy you slept well. I feel like I got no sleep at all." You sighed, rubbing your eyes.

"Aw, I'm sorry. Was it a nightmare, or could you not sleep?"

"No, I slept like a rock, but I'm still tired."

"It's probably your body trying to adjust to the new situation, I wouldn't worry too much about it." Dan said, getting out of bed and carefully getting dressed. You did too, but a lot slower than what he did. But, he still waited for you at the door and then walked downstairs with you, seeing the entire group gathered in the kitchen. Audrey waved her arms happily when she saw you and Dan and you smiled, looking at the amazing breakfast on the table. Pretty much everyone wolfed it down and when everyone was done, Agnes and Serena visited.

"Dr. Hanes requested to see all of you separately, starting with Dan first. Please, follow me." Serena said in a sweet tone, and that burning sensation returned. You rolled your eyes as you washed the dirty dishes, Agnes slowly sidling up beside you as Dan and Serena left, the others talking to each other quietly. She began to help you out with the dishes, cleaning off silverware for you.

"So, Y/N, is it?"

"Yeah." You said, focusing on the plates.

"I heard you were rooming with Dan, yet you two aren't married. Is there something going on?"

For Christ's sake, why did everyone have to know about everything? You didn't mind if it was Suzy or Holly asking you, but some stranger that you had no clue about? You hesitated, and decided that you wouldn't trust her.

"I don't think that's really your business." You responded, eyes narrowed. Agnes looked at you, silent, but she cleared her throat awkwardly.

"I can understand that, no worries. Although, if you two aren't public, people are going to assume things."

"Assume things?" You frowned, looking at her finally. "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean, people are going to think that Dan's not dating anyone."

You didn't want to retaliate just yet, since Dan hadn't actually asked to be your boyfriend. Was that still a thing, though? In such critical circumstances, would he truly be bothered to ask you such a simplistic question? You began to think that things only mattered if you were married, which you definitely didn't want anytime soon. But, getting married in a situation like this, who had the time to lazily attend a wedding?  
You had no idea you'd be answering that question sooner than later.

\---

"Please, sit down here." Serena gestured towards the firm exam table. Dan slowly sunk down, sitting on the edge, his feet touching the floor due to his long legs. He always felt a little uncomfortable around nurses and doctors, especially people who were definitely younger than him. He just felt like he knew his own self best, but he shook the thoughts away because it was incredibly kind for Serena to agree to help him, so he stayed silent.

"So, Dan," She nearly cooed his name, pulling on rubber gloves. "How old are you?"

"Thirty-eight." Dan said, feeling old. Serena didn't mind, though, her smiling continuing.

"Wow, really? You look so hot for thirty-eight. I just turned eighteen." She giggled. Dan didn't find it incredibly flattering that such a young girl called him hot, but it's not like you and Serena were that far apart in age, and she was legally an adult, but even still, did laws even exist anymore?

"Open up." Serena said, holding one of those weird magnifying things up to his lips. He slowly opened his mouth and she turned on the mini-flashlight, inspecting his mouth, ears, and even eyes. She leaned back with a proud smile. "You look healthy, that's good. Now, what's the sweating problem I heard about?"

Dan told her about when he first found out about his heat stroke issue and she listened intently, her eyes fixated on his. Suddenly, she reached up with a bare hand after taking off her glove, touching the scar on his eyebrow. He flinched away, her hands warm and clammy.

"Sorry, curiosity killed the cat." Serena joked, withdrawing her hand and letting it rest on her hip. "Well, you seem okay. Do you have any injuries anywhere?"

"Well, yeah, some scratches all around my body. Got beaten by these guys, they weren't easy on me."

"Where at, specifically?"

"I mean, everywhere. Most of them on my back and my chest, a couple on my legs."

"If you don't mind, could you try and show me your scratches? I'll see how bad they are."

Dan hesitated, pulling his shirt up and slowly off his chest, exposing himself to the younger nurse. Serena made a face as Dan pointed out the major scratches, and she ran her fingers over them, examining them.

"You know, Danny..." She trailed off, catching him off-guard. Usually only the people in his life who's close to him added the extra -ny in his name. "You're really attractive. You have a girlfriend?"

Well, there's the red alarms in his head. They went off wildly, making Dan flinch away from her touch suddenly. "Uhh,"

"'Cause if you don't, I wouldn't mind being her." Serena's arms wrapped around Dan's neck and he snatched her wrists, pushing her away.

"Sorry, Serena, I've already got a girl in mind."

"What? Are you dating her? Engaged?"

"We're romantically involved." Dan clarified, pulling his shirt on and standing up. "I don't want you to try and break us up, either. Besides, you're too young." He shoved his hands into his pockets carefully and walked out, leaving her standing there in shock that someone actually rejected her.

When Dan arrived back at the house, he saw you sitting by yourself at the dining table, sipping from a cup. He smiled sweetly and strode up, sitting down beside you.

"Oh, that didn't take long." You commented and he looked away nervously. Yeah, because he cut it off. "The group is in the living room, I just needed some coffee."

"I have something to tell you." Dan sighed, and you looked up. Your eyes lit up as if you remembered something, which you did.

"Actually, you reminded me. I do too. What's up, Danny?"

"Well, uh, when Serena was examining me, she kept flirting with me, and even asked if she could be my girlfriend. The whole situation was so awkward, I just walked out of the office and came back here."

Your face contorted into something of anger and jealousy. You were glad Dan was remaining loyal, but the thought of a young girl trying to flirt with him just upset you. Dan's hand took yours, he could probably see your face. His strangely large thumb ran across the top of your hand intimately, and Dan continued the pattern to try to cool you down. Of course, it worked, and you finally spoke.

"Really? Now, that's odd. Her mother talked to me and asked me personal questions about being with you. I have a feeling things are adding up."

"Y/N, don't get jealous. Although, you're adorable when you make that face. But that's not the point. I wouldn't leave you even if the prettiest, kindest, most perfect woman entered my life. Because she already has." He said softly, squeezing your hand. A smile slowly returned to your face and you felt all warm and fuzzy inside instead. You weren't good with compliments, always just giggling like a school girl or looking away and muttering an awkward thanks. But, with Dan, you felt so confident around him and it was truly an amazing emotion.

"You make me blush." You joked, leaning in and kissing his cheek. "Only the most caring, loyal, and trustworthy guys can do that."

Dan's cheeks went a light pink and you laughed, teasing him for it before watching Arin answer the front door. Serena seemed upset, making a face, but she also took Arin with her to the doctor's office. Before she even said anything, though, she saw a glimpse of you and Dan laughing, holding each other's hands and being incredibly sweet to each other. Her jealousy burned hotly and she whirled around with Arin at her side, walking to the office and slamming the door behind herself.

In the afternoon, while pretty much everybody had been examined, you were playing outside with Audrey and Brian when it was finally your turn. As Serena led you into the doctor's office, you slowly sat down on the exam table and Serena already had this attitude emitting all around her, her face in an agitated pout. She looked up at you from her clipboard and smacked it against the counters, pulling on her gloves.  
"You're just here for a simple check-up." Serena said, examining your eyes, ears, and mouth. She murmured something about your health and you frowned.

"Are you okay, Serena?"

"Am I okay?" She repeated, looking you dead in the eyes. "Yeah, totally."

She was blatantly lying, but you didn't shut up, instead, this just upset you more.

"Are you, like, jealous of Dan and me? Look, you just met him yesterday. And, you're really young. I don't think you should be going for older guys."

"Shut up, you bitch." Serena suddenly said, snapping at you. "Who are you to tell me that? You're, what, six years older than me? The age gap isn't even that big, and you're acting like I'm a naïve child who doesn't know who to get romantically involved with."

"Woah, woah." You said, raising your hands. "I'm just saying, that maybe you should've given things time before trying to seduce him into making out with you."

"You don't even know the full story. I kissed him, and he didn't even hesitate to stop me at all. He probably left that part out because, you know, he doesn't want to upset his little girlfriend."

What? You froze, looking at her. Your mind immediately screamed to not listen to her, but what if she was right? There was no way you'd know for real, unless you confronted Dan.

You started to believe her. Was there really a part of the story you didn't know about? A part where Dan had went behind your back, despite not officially being your boyfriend?

That's right, he hadn't asked you out yet. Was he trying to get with another girl, last minute? Was he just trying to use you as a cover, was he trying to cheat on you, was he more interested in younger girls, was he lying to your face?

Your Dan?

You quickly shook the thought from your head. "Don't fucking lie to me, you toxic whore." You hissed, slapping her and walking out, slamming the doors and feeling your throat tighten, hot tears rolling down your cheeks as you escaped back home. You managed to clean yourself up before you walked in, and when you did, it seemed like everyone was sort of tending to themselves now. You heard Arin and Suzy quietly talking in the living room, and Dan was in the kitchen, able to see you enter.

"Hey, baby, how'd it go?"

"Horrible. Can we talk, Dan?"

Dan blinked and nodded, holding his cup of coffee at, like, 5 PM. He set it down and followed you upstairs into your room and you shut the door behind him, sitting on the bed and sighing. He slowly sank down beside you, wrapping an arm around you.

"What's wrong?"

You explained what happened. With each sentence, Dan's face grew more and more upset. "Are you cheating on me, Dan? Did she really kiss you?"

"No! No way. I stopped her before she could do anything. Please, trust me."

You looked at Dan and felt stupid. Stupid for ever believing Serena, and stupid for ever thinking Dan would lie to you. He pulled you into a soft hug, smelling like Old Spice and coffee. You drank in his scent, wrapping your arms around him. When he pulled away from the hug, his hand rested on your face lovingly and he stared into your eyes.

"D-Danny?"

"I'm just admiring you. You're so cute."

"You can't just say those things!" You protested, blushing. "And, besides... you're not..."

"I'm not what?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. You had trailed off before you could finish, not wanting to rush things. You shook your head, not wanting to say 'my boyfriend.'

"Come on, tell me. What am I not?"

"It's nothing, really!"

Dan quickly heaved you up, then pinned you to the bed. He hovered so close to your face that his hair dangled over you, blocking out the sunset's rays and making it so you could only stare into his dark brown eyes. Your hands were above your hand, and no matter how much you struggled, he wouldn't let up easily.

"You can't just leave me and not finish the sentence."

"Dan, get off of me!" You whined, sort of playfully.

"Not until you tell me."

"Fine, fine!" You gave up rather quickly, sighing and trying not to make eye contact while you said it. "You're not my boyfriend."

Dan blinked and allowed you to sit up as he sat back down on the edge of the comfortable bed. You slowly raised, rubbing your arm and finally meeting his eyes. He had a crooked smile and furrowed eyebrows. "I thought I was?" He replied.

"W-What? No, you haven't asked me yet!"

"I thought it was safe to assume without asking!" Dan raised up his hands.

"Who's kind of logic is that?"

"I don't know!" Dan laughed, managing to lose his breath. It was his typical laugh, where he'd nearly fall over from laughing so hard. "Do you want me to ask you?"

"I think it would be appreciated." You joined in with his laughter. Dan gently took your hand, holding it with both of his.

"Y/N, would you like to be my girlfriend?"

"Yeah." You agreed, and he pulled you into a passionate kiss. It wasn't super hot or sexy, just sweet and gave you butterflies. When Dan pulled away, he rested his forehead against yours and just dreamily looked in your eyes, almost like he was a lovesick puppy. His soft breath was warm against your face, and it smelled sweet, you didn't mind it at all. You playfully pushed him away, grinning. "Come on, let's hang out with the others." You offered, standing up.

Dan gently took your hand and you led him down the stairs, allowing him to grab his coffee before you joined Suzy and Arin.

Suzy gasped the minute she saw you two holding hands. "Are you two a couple now?"

"Yeah!" Dan said excitedly. Suzy squealed, running up and hugging the two of you happily. You laughed and patted her on the back and Arin chilled on the couch with a smile on his face.

"Congrats, guys."

"Yeah, but we have an issue." You said, sitting down with Dan close by your side, your leg brushed up against his own. "Serena tried to hit on Dan and then she totally tried to fight me, she even tried to make me believe Dan kissed her willingly."

"What?" Arin asked, in disbelief. "Seriously? I mean, she's just a kid, of course she's gonna be defiant."

"Should we tell Agnes?" Suzy suggested. Everyone sort of shrugged.

"We'll visit her tomorrow." Dan said, lounging on the comfortable couch. "Before we're sent out to do anything."

"Right, we have to start working tomorrow, don't we?" You groaned.

Dan nods. "I'm supposed to be going on a scouting mission with Ross, it might last until curfew, I have no idea."

"I was told to help with gardening with Holly and Suzy." You looked at Suzy, almost like you didn't want to do it. "I think I'd much rather go out and do things outside the walls. I feel like I'm trapped here."

"Hey, don't worry. At least you guys don't have to worry about any biters." Arin laughed, his arm wrapped around Suzy as she cuddled against him. "Besides, it sounds pretty simple. Just stick to it tomorrow."

"Right." Everyone sort of echoed, falling silent in their own respects.

"Well, I'm definitely up for something fun before we do any of that." You said, with a smile. You stood up and walked over to a shelf, hearing the cicadas and crickets outside as you neared a window. You picked up a card game, Cards Against Humanity, and you set it on the coffee table. The group perked up and gathered around the table closer, playing it like it was something they normally did.  
"Who pooped last?" You asked, looking around the group. Arin laughed and rose his hand.

"Of course you did." Dan broke into giggles as you gave him the power of the card czar. The game was played easily for hours on end, but when it was pitch black outside, everyone sort of dispersed. Suzy won the game, to your surprise, and she seemed incredibly happy with herself.

Later that night, you cuddled close to Dan and fell asleep almost instantly, feeling his hands pet your hair slowly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> gah!!! I hate serena! but don't worry, it'll only get worse...


	8. Please?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **WARNING** : This chapter will contain (consensual) sexual content, please read at your own risk!

It was early in the morning, and you felt Dan gently shake you awake. When you came around and opened your eyes, he was fully dressed back in his usual attire with a gray t-shirt, a leather jacket, ripped jeans, and boots. His fluffy hair was stuffed in a pulled-back ponytail and his smile nearly blinded you when you saw it. You groaned and rolled over to face him, a small sleepy smile creeping on your face.

"Hey, Y/N. Today's the day, get dressed. We gotta go visit Agnes in her office."

"Oh, right." You mumbled, sitting up and grabbing the clothes in your drawer. You chose simple jeans and a t-shirt, something you didn't mind getting dirty while gardening. When you pulled your hair out of your face in a stylish fashion, you felt arms wrap around your waist and you felt warm lips kiss your cheek.

"No matter what," Dan said, looking at you from the side. "I'll always be with you. Remember that."

"Okay." You laughed, taking his face and kissing his lips sweetly before parting with him and following him out of the house, to Agnes's office. As you two walked in together, she looked up from her paperwork curiously and set her pen down.

"Hi, Agnes, we need to talk privately about your daughter." Dan said, sitting down in one of the chairs. You slowly sank down beside him, feeling uneasy in Agnes's presence.

"What is it?" She said coldly.

"Serena... well, she..." You trailed off, explaining the whole situation to her. You discussed about how Serena shouldn't be going for older men, the incident with both you and Dan yesterday in the clinic, and what Agnes could do to stop Serena from trying to interfere.

"Look, I know you two are, what, in love?" Agnes said, almost mockingly. "But my daughter is an adult. She can make her own decisions, she can do whatever she pleases. And being the daughter of the leader of this community puts her social status high up there. It's not as if people are going to ignore her orders."

"So, she's sort of like a princess?" You said, frowning. Agnes nodded.

"Like that, yes. She gets what she wants and I don't involve myself with whatever she wants, because she's her own woman."

"But, what if she does something stupid or drastic, like abuse her power?" You wanted to bolt out of your seat, but your legs just kept twitching.

"She helped me raise this community from the ground. If what she does starts to harm my people, then I'll stop her, but otherwise, she can do whatever the hell she pleases. I'd give her the whole world if I could, since her father died."

You fell silent. Dan spoke up.

"What if she does something to us, our group, though?" He said.

"You are not my people. I'm sorry, Dan, but you just got here a couple days ago. Unless you plan on staying here, defending my people, risking your life everyday to benefit everyone in the community, and do your best to keep this place standing, then you are not truly apart of this community. I hope you understand my situation, I rarely let people stay, but you have a child with you. We agreed on a week. All I asked of Serena was to try and treat you all as guests, but she doesn't have to if she doesn't want to."

You supposed Agnes was right, Serena was going to do whatever she wanted to do, no matter what. It was something that she couldn't quite control, since Serena was literally a legal adult. But, you were afraid. Something deep inside your chest made you feel uneasy, and you knew something bad was brewing behind Serena's façade. But, Dan and you were dismissed from her office and you parted your separate ways, him pressing a goodbye kiss to your forehead before quickly jogging off to join Ross at the front gate. Suzy and Holly walked up beside you, accompanying you to the garden.

When you walked in, it was smaller than you thought. Of course, it's only been a little over a month, so there weren't going to be fruits and vegetables to harvest.

You were given the task to plant some more crops, some small potato plants. It started with Suzy helping you hoe the earth, pulling up dirt and loosening it as you tore away the pristine dew-coated grass. Before you could plant anything, you had to weed the area, and then you began to plant little areas with potatoes. After finishing, you watered them lightly and then you continued to work in the garden until it was noon.

The three of you sat outside at a picnic table and ate lunch while enjoying the nice Summer day before you had to get back to work. It took long, and when you were finished, you were coated in layers of dirt and grime. You felt so horrible that you didn't want to even move.

The sun was slowly sinking behind the trees, the sky now turning into a painting of yellow, orange, and red streaks, with big fluffy white clouds that appeared translucent against the sunlight.

"Hey, Y/N?" Called Holly, and she walked up to you. "Good work today. Was wondering if you wanted to come over for dinner."

"Oh, yeah, that sounds wonderful. I'll take a shower and then come over, 'kay?" You smiled, and she nodded, parting with you half-way. You and Suzy had to take turns taking a shower, so you made yours short and sweet. You then got dressed and made your way over to Holly's, right next door.

You casually opened the door and said, "I'm here!"

You heard an excited squeal followed by loud thumps, like footsteps. Audrey came running up to you and enveloped your thighs in a hug, a bit smile plastered on her face.

That's right, you hardly got to see Audrey anymore. She was put into a school with the other kids and so far, she's not been one to let go of her classes. Most of the other children in the community were 7-12, but they all treated Audrey so kindly, it really warmed your heart. It made you sad that you didn't see her as often as you'd like to, since she was definitely one of your favorite people in the group.

"Aunt Y/N!" She said happily, squeezing you before you swooped her up into your arms.

"There's Ninja Audrey! How's school?" You looked at her lovingly, like she was your own daughter.

"It's so fun! Ms. Austin says she wants more kids my age to teach." She swung her legs, her arms wrapped around your neck. "She reads to me and is very nice."

"That's good!" You cheered, happy that people were very considerate to her. Brian walked up with a smile.

"Looks like she found you first." Brian said, taking Audrey from your hands. You didn't realize how heavy she really was, and it was such a relief to get her off your arm.

"I'm not complaining. So, did you work today?" You asked him as the two of you walked into the dining room and he subconsciously placed Audrey down on the floor, allowing her to run around like a wild child.

"Yeah, but it was just helping out at the school. Audrey's getting along so well with everyone."

"I'm relieved. I was worried about the older kids teasing her." You say, watching her show you toys and talk to you, forcing you to quietly divert the conversation to her and answer her multiples of questions.

"Where's the others?" Brian asked.

"Suzy's taking her shower, Arin had something to do with Agnes, and Dan and Ross must still be out there." You sighed. "I'm worried, it's getting pretty late, and being out there during night isn't safe."

"Don't worry." Holly said, placing things on the table. "They're strong guys, they know how to handle themselves. Besides, they're with two other guys from the community. They should be safe."

"I know, you're right." You sit down, resting your head on your palm. "But I can still worry."

"Do you and Dan have a thing now?" Holly asked, almost impatiently. You shrugged, your cheeks reddening.

"I-I guess. I mean, he's my boyfriend."

"Really?" Holly asked, grabbing your hands excitedly. "Oh, I'm so happy!"

"That's great!" Brian added in.

You laughed and felt so embarrassed, not wanting to brag. "I-I don't know.."

Suzy and Arin both walked in together and the subject changed rather quickly, and you felt sort of relieved. You weren't one to brag about your significant other, no matter how cool or hot they were. You were shy and modest when it came to these relationships, but you figured that you were an adult and you could handle it better than you did when you were still in high school.

Beep, beep! You blinked back into reality and heard beeping from the kitchen. Holly rushed back in and grabbed the last thing, setting it on the table. Everyone gathered around and sat down, immediately stuffing their faces. The two empty chairs, though, sort of mocked you and you just felt that tiny fear for Dan and Ross get bigger every second that those chairs weren't filled.

But, it didn't happen. Although you hoped and hoped, they didn't walk in through the door. But, your time with your friends was fun enough, and you convinced yourself Dan would be in bed in the morning. You headed back a little later after Suzy and Arin did, finishing up your alcoholic beverage before bidding everyone goodnight and heading back to your house.

Walking in, it was quiet. The lights were off and it was obvious that Arin and Suzy had went to bed. You sighed and shuffled in, taking your shoes off at the door and stumbling up the stairs. You weren't drunk, but you were definitely a little tipsy. It was the good kind of buzz, where you could think straight, but you felt warm and bubbly inside.

You opened your door and walked in, shutting it behind you and you collapsed on the bed. You groaned, not realizing how much you ached after working so hard today. You sat up and took off your clothes, leaving yourself in your underwear, and burying yourself under the thick blankets. You curled up, but you couldn't sleep quite yet. There was hardly any light at all, and you felt like you had true privacy now.

You weren't sure what your hands were doing, but they slowly slid down your body. You felt your own fingertips race against your skin and create goosebumps, and you gently pressed your fingers against your underwear, feeling the lace and the soft fabric before your fingers moved even more down.

This wasn't something you did often, but being buzzed made you horny. And you decided the only way to deal with that was to masturbate. Your fingers pressed hard against your entrance through your panties, and you felt your own teeth bite into your lip. You were getting too hot, so you threw the blankets off of yourself and felt your skin get exposed to the cool air.

Your index and middle finger sensually rubbed yourself, and your free hand gently clasped around your breast. You felt this growing hotness that blossomed in your lower abdomen area, making you even wetter. As you rubbed, you only progressively grew more damp until you got fed up with your panties. You hastily pushed them off your hips and then kicked them to the sheet beside you, exposing yourself to the air.  
You let out a half-sigh, half-moan as your fingers gently rubbed your entrance, creating small circles before threatening to enter. Slowly, but surely, you pushed one digit into your walls and you whined softly, trying not to be too loud. You were almost immediately unsatisfied, so you pushed in a second digit and then pumped your fingers in a fluid in-and-out motion. The heat grew incredibly more hot, and you felt the tips of your ears heat up from embarrassment. Your moans were soft, but you quickly clamped down and ground your teeth together, your mind slowly going blank and feeling blood rush down as you were preparing for an orgasm.

This is it- you were going to c-

"Oh- my God!" Shouted a voice from the doorway. The door slammed and you panicked, pulling the blanket to cover yourself as you sat up, looking at the person in the doorway.

"I-I'm so sorry, Y/N... I didn't mean to..." Dan stammered, covering his own eyes in pure embarrassment. You were relieved it was him, but it was still so god awful that your boyfriend caught you pleasuring yourself. You flushed a dark color and gripped the covers, your eyes wide.

"I-I didn't know when you were coming back!" You said quickly as he slowly uncovered his face. "I'm so sorry you had to s-see that." You stuttered. "It was totally not hot."

"No, way! That was probably the hottest thing I ever walked in on." Dan quickly shook his head, then began to process what he said. "I had no idea you were in this... mood."

"Y-Yeah." You said, trying to break the awkward silence.

"Y/N?" Dan asked.

"Yes?"

"Do you want me to help you out?" He asked flirtatiously.

"What? Huh?" You asked as he approached you, taking the covers in your hands and slowly pulling them away. He kneeled on the bed, his boots already off, thrown into the corner.

"Lay back." Dan said, his voice suddenly confident and sexy. You obeyed him, laying back down and feeling him slowly take the blanket off of you, exposing yourself yet again. He leaned over and turned a lamp on, then resumed to eye you down like a meal.

"Don't worry, my hands are clean." He laughed softly and you felt his hands run across your body, finally resting on your breasts. You felt panicked, but you calmed down as he removed your bra from your chest, exposing your hard nipples. His thumbs ran over them and he placed kisses all along them, making you whine loudly.

Then, one of his hands slowly trailed down your stomach and to your womanhood. He was gentle, softly stroking and running his fingers lightly against your lips. You threw your head back, your body aching for an orgasm. He was being so sweet to you, murmuring loving words to remind you that it's him. It's Dan. Not anyone else. 

You wanted to cry out as one of his much larger fingers slowly prodded your entrance, slipping in rather easily from your wetness. You let out a gasp, and his free hand caressed your face, his lips pressing against yours and then trailing down to your neck, biting and sucking softly on your virgin skin.

"Dan." You slowly eased out, your voice shaky from the fact his finger slowly entered and pulled out of your flower. Dan smiled a little and leaned back.

"Do you want more?"

"Yes!" You quickly said.

"What do you say?"

You paused and didn't break your eye contact with him, just feeling tears well up in your eyes. "Please, Danny."

He nodded and slowly pulled his finger out, antagonizing you even more. He slowly sunk, going down on you and propping your legs on his shoulders.

To say the least, it was embarrassing as hell. You were trying to cover your mouth the entire time, but Dan demanded to hear your 'adorable moans,' and so you let them out when you felt one rise up in your throat. Dan let you finish and you panted wildly, your back falling from its arch and your skin hot to the touch. Dan leaned up and watched you before he leaned over, kissing your cheek.

"I'm gonna go take a shower now, baby."

Dan got up and almost left you alone on the bed, but before he left he paused at the door without turning around.

"You taste really good, too." He said before he left, leaving you as a hot mess to your own thoughts.


	9. Marriage

It was finally Thursday, the day before you were said to head out of the community. You couldn’t wait to get out of this madhouse, so you woke up more excited than usual. Getting dressed and running down the stairs, you met up with Arin, who was the only other person awake in the house.

“Good morning!” You cheered, pouring yourself a cup of coffee.

“You seem happier than usual.” Arin commented, leaning against the counter and looking at you.

“Yes, well, I just can’t wait to leave.”

“Why?”

You paused. Wasn’t it obvious? One, Serena was a crazy girl who kept trying to get in your boyfriend’s pants, and two, you wanted to get home as soon as you possibly could.

“Well, it’s just, I miss home.” You said, looking away. “I had a pet cat, my neighbor was taking care of her. I-I…” You trailed off. You wanted to say ‘I hope she’s okay,’ but you couldn’t bring yourself to think about your poor Taffy.

“Don’t worry, we’ll get there when we get there. I’m just taking this opportunity to stock up on things. I’ve been trying to convince them to lend us a car, but that’ll take a much longer time.”

“We can just find a car, can’t we?” You offered, panicked that you might have to stay here for that extra time. “It doesn’t have to be theirs.”

“None of us know how to hotwire.” Arin said, raising an eyebrow. “We were well-off before everything happened, but now we’re just the same as everyone else.”

Arin had a point. You couldn’t just hotwire a car, and besides, you might need two, since your group was a bit larger than what a regular car could handle. You sunk down slightly, feeling bad. You wanted to leave, but getting a car would ensure your safety and fast travels to Arkansas. You felt helpless in the situation, you wish something would happen, anything.

“So, where’d you go yesterday?” You asked him curiously, changing the topic quickly.

“Oh, Agnes wanted to interview me personally. Then, she showed me around the town and I met a couple people. Since I’m the leader of the group, she didn’t call anyone else in.”

“Right.” You said, understanding.

“How was gardening?”  
“You can bet it was better than going out and scavenging. Dan came home a little after I went to bed.”

You didn’t mention the specifics, though. And speak of the devil, Dan came trotting down the stairs with a big, knowing smile plastered on his face.

“Hey, guys.” He yawned, and you and Arin greeted him warmly.

“How did the scavenging trip go?” Arin asked, taking another short sip of his coffee. Dan shrugged, grabbing an orange and peeling the skin off with his thumb.

“It was long. We did find some cans of food, though. Then, some biters blocked us off and we had to take the long way back. Sorry it took so long.”

“We ate dinner over at Holly’s and you guys missed out.”

“Yeah, I’m sure starving.” Dan popped an orange slice into his mouth, and you sat there quietly. His brown eyes glanced at you and he rose an eyebrow.

“You okay, Y/N?”

“I-I’m fine!” You stammered, recalling images of last night. Your cheeks grew red and you watched a big grin appear on his face before he turned back to Arin.

“So, man, what’re we doing today?”

“Just the normal thing. Except I offered to garden today, and I think Y/N is signed up for picking up trash.”

“What?” You said, frowning in surprise. “I didn’t sign up for any of that.”

“It was just posted on the board today, under the jobs. Dan, you and Ross can have a break until noon.” Arin shrugged, and you felt annoyance boil under your skin. You rolled your eyes and quickly walked outside, the guard standing watch giving you a big black trash bag and some rubber gloves.

You hated this. You were sure someone that didn’t like you signed you up for this, but you couldn’t really pick and choose who. You knew a majority of the people in the community either didn’t know you or didn’t like you, or both really. So, you were at a loss. You picked up an empty milk carton on the side of the road, exhaling loudly in irritation, and then tossing it into the bag. You felt sour, and your day was ruined, but you forced yourself to think of other things instead of your current situation.

As you subconsciously picked up trash off the side of the road, your thoughts drifted back to last night. God, you were so embarrassed. Dan could tease you all he wanted to, and you couldn’t do much to stop him from doing it. Despite being incredibly red-faced, you definitely wanted more from him. You wouldn’t settle for anything less anymore, you decided, with a day-dreamy smile stuck on your face.

But, the wind blew and pulled a plastic wrapper out of your hands. You squeaked and chased after it, probably looking like an idiot chasing around a wrapper with a big black bag flapping around behind you as you ran.

God, why was there so much trash? Not to mention, a citizen complained about one of their trash cans being knocked over, so you had to deal with that. It was probably lunch time when you finished picking up trash, but nobody had given you orders after that. You went to the park, seeing people gathering around the pavilion. You curiously rose an eyebrow, trying to peer over the multiple heads, seeing Serena standing up on a small stage, and guess who was next to her?

Dan.

“I just wanted to announce something, to all of the wonderful people in our community!” Serena cheered, clasping her hands together and looking around the group. Her eyes met yours and they rested there, and you felt your blood run cold. Serena wrapped her arms around Dan’s arm and she rested her head against his shoulder.

“Dan and I are officially in love! And engaged to be married tomorrow!”

What? Wait, no, no, no, this wasn’t happening. What was happening? No, Dan doesn’t love her.

Dan didn’t move, instead he looked sort of blank. Why wasn’t he reacting to what Serena was saying? Dan wasn’t in love with her, he loved you! So, why was this happening? Why was he allowing this to happen?

Serena grinned and people cheered for her, supporting her false relationship with Dan. You dropped the trash bag, feeling your heart sink.

So, this is why. Why you didn’t want to fall in love. Why you shouldn’t have.

You threw your gloves off and ran back to your temporary house. You didn’t look back, or hesitate to be loud, but nobody was home, so you were able to throw the tantrum that you’ve bottled up all this time. You broke only a couple of minor things and ran into your room, slamming the door.

This was so unlike you, but you cried into your pillow. It still smelled sweet, like Dan. Like, Old Spice Pure Sport. That’s what he wore, anyway. And smelling it made you just want to curl up and die even more.

You calmed down eventually, but you heard someone knock at your bedroom door. You were sitting on your bed, just staring at your hands, but you croaked, “Who is it?”

The door slowly opened, exposing Serena with a sly smile. She slowly shut the door behind herself. “Hey, how’s the little heartbroken girl doing? You know, you left your job. There’s trash everywhere in the park because of you.”

“Shut up.” You growled, standing up. You could hurt her, you had the chance, but you just clenched your fists because you knew it wouldn’t be a good decision as soon as two bulky guards walked into the room. Serena gestured to them wit a sly smile on her face.

“They’re going to stand outside your bedroom door, just to make sure you don’t interrupt the wedding.”

“What’s actually wrong with your head?” You scowl at her, clenching your fists angrily and feeling your nails dig into the palms of your hands, feeling a sharp pain and then small beads of blood appeared. “Are you so mentally fucked that you can’t function correctly?”

“Me?” Serena batted her eyelashes. “You’re the one who was flirting with my fiancé. Dan proposed to me this morning.”

“Stop trying to feed me your lies.” You whirled away from her and she just cackled, turning on her heel and walking out, talking to the guards before dismissing you. Your door was slammed, and you were left in the room with all the memories of last night whirling around in your head. You wanted to get rid of them all, they were all stained with Serena’s words. You gripped your hair, having the urge to just lose it all.

When you were first in the forest of California, it was so clear that you’d lose your sanity as easily as the next guy. With dead people walking all around, trying to eat you alive, it didn’t take long for you to become paranoid. Meeting everyone in the group was just sort of a way to stall the deterioration of your mind, but it was still happening. With this happening, you just wanted to sink deeper into your bed and break out into sobs.

You were going crazy.

For the rest of the day, you were sort of locked up in your room. You could go to the bathroom, but the guards had taken note of your every move. It was like a messy game of chess, where you felt like you were going to lose against your opponent no matter what. You were allowed to go downstairs to eat dinner when it was time, so you did just that, but the guards sort of just followed you around like lost puppies.

“Hey, are you okay?” Suzy asked, sitting with Arin at the table. You sunk down in your seat and shook your head.

“Does it look like I’m okay?” You snapped, feeling bad immediately. “Uhg, sorry, ignore me. I’m just moody.”

“You have a good reason to be.” Arin said, glancing over at the guards and looking at you. “Suzy and I are invited to the wedding. There’s actually going to be some parties tonight that we’re going to attend, so we might not sleep at home tonight.”

“Great, you guys are just gonna abandon me?” You frowned in concern.

“Don’t worry. We’ll all stop to say goodnight to you, even Brian and the others.”

“Alright.” You solemnly responded, picking at your food and hardly eating at all. When you were finished, you just went back upstairs and sulked some more. You knew that outside your door were two big guards, trained to attack and possibly kill you if you threatened to move. You felt like a prisoner, someone locked up until they die.

There was knocking at your door. You heard a voice as you slowly opened it, seeing the big group gathered outside. Arin was talking to the guards.

“Agnes told me that you guys should change shifts. Get something to eat.”

The guards looked skeptically at each other, but hesitantly walked away and when the front door slammed, indicating they were completely gone, the group all hurried into the room.

“What’s going on?” You asked Arin, looking around at all of your friends. Of course, Dan wasn’t hidden in there somewhere.

“We only have a little time to talk, but take this.” Suzy said, handing you a pile of clothes. You took them and nearly fell over, since they were so weighed down with something. Your eyebrows furrowed as you wanted to ask questions, but you sorted through the clothes, seeing a machine gun hidden in the folds. You got the jist rather quickly.

“Okay…” You said, a smile coming onto your face. “I think I’ve got something. Brian, you take Audrey with you and grab a big car. Preferably a van. Park outside the church, and when you see me, start it up and get it ready to go.” You pointed to the two remaining couples in the room. “Ross, Holly, Arin, and Suzy. You four need to sit somewhat apart from each other. Arin, sit next to Agnes. When I burst through the door, I need you all to grab a citizen, Arin you grab Agnes. Point a gun to your hostages, and nobody will dare to shoot.”

“But-” Holly said softly. “I don’t want to hurt anyone that hasn’t done anything wrong.”

“I know, Holly, but sometimes you need to. If we want this to work, it can’t just be Agnes’s life at stake.” You sighed, smiling at Holly’s pacifist side. The group nodded, and just then the front door slams open. You jumped and quickly hid the machine gun back in the folds of the clothes as the group hurriedly shuffled out of the room. As they went down the stairs and the new pair of guards went up, you could feel the tension in the room and you quickly shut your door.

Oh, this was going to be good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this fuckin BITCH!!!!!  
> sorry for the short chapter~


	10. Run

You couldn't sleep all night, you were staring at the pile of clothes in the corner that hid the gun. All the things you wanted to do were rather violent, but you saved it for the next day. When the sun rose over the trees, you watched out your window for any sign of the wedding starting. People were dressed fancily, walking to the church, laughing and talking all together. You then spotted Suzy, who was looking at your window, and when your eyes met hers she smiled.

Then, she walked behind a building and remained out of sight, like everyone else. You guessed you couldn't see the church from your view, but you saw the roof of it sticking up above the rest. The solid cross beamed against the morning sun, and you felt a moment of relief. A moment of hope that you were going to be able to save your poor Dan from this temptress.

So, you got up and got dressed, shutting your window. The dress that you were given was a slim black dress, went about halfway down your thighs, and the straps crossed in the front. You weren't actually sure what time to head out, so you waited about five minutes. You made sure to check your ammo, then you pulled your door open and your day began.

One guard turned to face you, which you coldcocked with the butt of your machine gun. He fell to the floor and the other one rushed, pulling out a smaller gun to you, but you quickly hit it out of his hands and pointed the barrel to his face threateningly. He slowly lifted up his hands and you hit him in the side of the head, knocking him out cold too.

You panted, gripping the gun harshly before stepping over their unconscious bodies and heading out the front door. Of course, nobody would be in town, they'd all be at the wedding. You stealthily walked around buildings, trying to make your way to the church without directly being seen by any windows or people who might be lingering behind, and you finally made it to the street across the church. You squatted down in some bushes, surveying the situation. You heard gentle music waft from the doors, and a black van pulled up onto the side of the street, parking there. You saw Brian sitting in the front seat, but didn't want to call out to him or draw attention to yourself.

You heard a voice talking, probably the minister. It was strange, trying to listen in, but you were too far away. You carefully walked in the underbrush, getting out of sight before crossing the road a bit away from the back end of Brian's van. You stayed low to the ground, moving slowly like a predator stalking its pray. You walked to the back end of the church, right under a window. You listened in carefully, sort of hoping for that moment where the minister asks if there were any objections.

"Dan, please take Serena's hand and repeat these words: I give you this ring, as a symbol of our love,"

You could imagine Dan actually holding her hand, slowly sliding the ring onto her finger. You felt anger bubble up inside of you, but you released your anger slowly by exhaling loudly.

"I give you this ring, as a symbol of our love," Dan repeated. His sweet voice, so timid and so monotone, just made your heart ache. The time that you were thinking about it, it already got to the I Do's. So far, there hasn't been a mention of the classical 'objections' part, and you wondered if it was completely cut from the ceremonial script. Probably Serena's choice, she didn't want people to not approve of her marriage with your Dan. You listened in again.

"Serena– do you take Dan to be your husband; to live together in the covenant of marriage? Do you promise to love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, be faithful to him as long as you both shall live?"

"I do." Serena said dreamily. You clenched your gun close, and suddenly you stood up, walking to the front door. The minister's voice echoed throughout the church, and you could hear it clearly through the steam coming out of your ears.

"And Dan– do you take Serena to be your wife; to live together in the covenant of marriage? Do you promise to love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, be faithful to her as long as you both shall live?" The minister said, looking at Dan expectantly. Dan, holding Serena's hands, looked down in hesitation. He felt a sick feeling crawl up his back, and he felt like that little moment of hesitation was so much longer than what it truly was. Serena's eyes stared at him, maybe even through him, and he missed those sweet eyes full of love and compassion that belonged to you.

You ran up to the double doors, motioning to Brian to start the van. He nodded to you, starting it up, and you heard Dan say, "I-" before you kicked the doors open, your heels nearly breaking off from the force of your anger.

People in the audience wheeled around to face you, and all red-faced, you exclaimed, "You fucking bitch!" To Serena. The audience screamed, and the plan was all falling into place. Before people could move, Arin grabbed Agnes, and so did the others with some random citizens. People cried out in utter fear, while you kept your gun trained on Serena.

"Y/N!" Dan said, a small smile coming to his face.

"Baby!" You cried out to him, feeling a wave of relief when he said your name. Serena, hot in the face, was trembling.

"You bitch, how did you get out?" She screamed.

"Your guards are shit." You shrugged. "And do you really fuckin' think I'm gonna let you take Dan?" You laughed. The audience was sobbing, and Agnes struggled against Arin's strong grip.

"Why are you doing this?" Agnes said, upset.

"The fuck you think, you old hag?" You rolled your eyes at her. "Maybe because, I don't know, I just said it? Dan's not just some object you can take away from all of us." Children that were in the pews were held in their mother's protective embrace, and babies screamed and cried. You stared at Serena, and Dan slowly let go of her hands, facing you. Before he could start towards you, Serena made a quick move, hiking her dress up and drawing a handgun on you from her garter. She was ready to shoot, but everything in the room went slow and you shot at her, unable to quite control the gun, so many of the bullets made it into the walls and one hit the minister in the stomach. He fell to the ground, and then you finally hit Serena in the arm. She let out a bloodcurdling scream, losing her footing and dropping the gun. The audience went wild with shrieks of terror.

You walked up to Serena's body, which she was squirming around on the wooden floor, and grabbed the hand on the arm that you shot. She cried out painfully and you looked at her fingers, slowly pulling the ring off and then placing it on your own ring finger. You admired it for a little bit, then you turned to Dan with a loving smile.

"Damn, you're crazy." Dan said with a dreamy smile.

"I know." You replied, taking his hand. You motioned to the others, and they dropped their hostages, running out of the door with you close behind in pursuit. Brian rolled the van door open and all of you piled in quickly, and before you could close it behind yourself, Brian got into the driver's seat and quickly sped off onto the road. You slammed the door, and Dan panicked.

"What about all of our stuff?"

"Got it right here." Arin said, pointing to the backpacks. "And we managed to get some extra stuff."

"Guys," Brian addressed. "The gate's closed. One of us is gonna have to open it."

"I'll do it." You offered, and he nodded. While speeding down the road, you flung the door open and readied yourself to leap out. He slowed down, almost to a stop, and you hopped out onto the pavement, sprinting to the gate and fumbling with it before sliding it open. Biters chomped at you, ones that were behind the gate, and you stumbled back to the van. Suzy helped you back inside, and Brian weaved in and out of the biters as you climbed inside, shutting the door once more and feeling safe for once. You panted, sighed, and laid back on the floor of the van. Audrey, who was sitting up front with her dad, was clapping and cheering. She had no idea what sort of Hell you just went through, but you were glad she was so enthusiastic. Then, Brian scolded her for being turned around in her seat, and he made her face back to the road.

You saw Dan, finally registering that he was all dressed up in a tux, with his frizzy hair pulled back into a small ponytail. You loved it, a lot more than you thought you would. Sitting up, you smiled at him, feeling your heart flutter when he returned the smile.

"That was the most kickass thing." He complimented. You flushed.

"Aw, thanks. Not gonna lie, I felt good doing it. I hope that community has fun with all the biters stumbling into their little town."

The van was silent for the most part, and you were holding onto Dan for God knows how long, until you finally talked again, Dan looking down at you. "Why did you not say anything to me? I had thought you actually wanted to marry her."

"What? No!" Dan said softly, gripping your hand. "She threatened me that she'd kill you if I didn't agree to marry her." He sighed, his head hung and you felt a little pang of pity for him. He was in a situation that was difficult to get out of, and if you hadn't broken up the wedding like a crazy girlfriend, he would've married her just to save you. A fluffy, light-hearted feeling entered your chest and made you feel giddy.

"Really?" You asked him, and he nodded, his eyes downcast. You brought his face up to meet yours, and his eyes just reeked sadness.

"I'm sorry." He whispered, and you shook your head.

"Don't be. Thank you, so much. I'm so happy, Danny." You replied, taking his hand and looking at the golden band on his ring finger, and your matching one with a small gemstone. Your fingertips gently touched the cold ring on his finger, and his eyes trailed downwards to your hands. His fingers laced with yours and your heart skipped a beat, and it was like time slowed down for you.

You didn't want to say it, since you weren't sure about your own feelings. You weren't sure if Dan felt the same or not, but when you saw him you just felt head-over-heels, or in love. Was it love, or were you obsessed? Could you even consider it an obsession, or were you exaggerating your own emotions for your boyfriend? You, of course, wanted him to be with you for as long as possible, and just be in your sight at all times.

You let go of his hand, running it up his arm and caressing his face lovingly, bringing him into a kiss. Everyone was sort of keeping to themselves, so it wasn't very noticeable, and you were glad that nobody seemed to notice Dan also running his hand gently against your bare thigh, his eyes flirtatiously fixated on yours when you pulled away and rested your forehead against his. You giggled a little, feeling his curls in between your fingers and toying with them, feeling at peace with him in your arms.

The group was on the run for hours and hours, taking driving shifts. But, the good thing is, you finally hit Texas, which was one of Arkansas's neighbors, and just made you more excited to keep going. But, you had to go through Oklahoma and stay in a pretty particular straight line, and so it wouldn't be a couple of days until you got to Arkansas.

Memories flooded your mind. You lived on the edge of the Ozark Plateau, where the mountainous landscapes began to roll and shape the world and where every morning the sunrise would continually astonish you. Not to mention, it wasn't a very populated area to be in, so the biters wouldn't be very dense like they were in California. You, of course, wanted to go home, but you wanted to show the group the Buffalo River. It was your favorite place on the entire Earth, and you just had to show them that beauty that they'll never get to witness again in their life. The lush plants, the sparkling and clean rivers, the tall ridges that dropped off, looming over the water.

You reminisced about when you went canoeing with some high school friends there, and when you camped there countless times as a younger kid. Arkansas was, yes, not that fun, but this was probably the best part of it all. How in touch with nature this wonderful state was, but at the same time, had the luxuries of Little Rock and other big cities like that. You couldn't help but get overwhelmed thinking about it, and before you know it, the van was pulling over into a small town. You blinked and glanced around, trying to get a grip on your surroundings, and you noticed it was like an actual neighborhood. It had small houses, big houses, simple, complex, wood, brick, and many more types of homes that all once sheltered a family in their lives.

"Where are we?"

"The sign wasn't there, but it's some small town, I have no clue." Arin said, driving now. "We're thinking about stopping here for tonight."

Right, it was now Saturday. Crazy how time flies, right? You've been mostly sitting in that car for what seemed like years, when only yesterday you were in New Mexico saving your boyfriend from some crazy ass bitch who wanted his dick. Well, now, the sun was creating gorgeous streaks of gold and orange in the sky and you were antsy to fall asleep on an actual bed. Of course, you weren't sure if biters would be an issue, but hopefully that you'd be able to get some rest tonight.

"Just pick one, I'm ready to pass out." Ross complained, leaning against the sleeping Holly. Audrey was in her dad's lap, sighing innocently in her sleep, and Brian was beginning to snore awfully loud. When you prodded Dan to ask him about it, he shrugged and said that Brian's always slept like that. Apparently, according to Dan, it's like 'being yelled at by someone's nose.'

Arin slowed the van into an empty driveway and when the rolling stopped, Holly woke up and had to rub her eyes before stumbling out of the van and stretching with everyone else. You hated to admit it, but you smelled like B.O. and sweat. You were still wearing the same uncomfortable skimpy dress, and everyone was still dressed in their wedding attire. Arin approached the nice two-story house that he had picked out, drawing his weapon, and hitting the door with his other fist. He waited a minute, heard something hit the door and groan and gurgle at him, and he swung the door open, killing the biter that was inside. He then took you, Suzy, Ross, and Dan with him to inspect the house for others, and it was only Suzy who found one and managed to kill it. The entire house was secure, so they disposed of the two bodies and then made themselves at home in the hot house.

There were only three bedrooms, so Brian and Audrey took one, Suzy and Holly roomed in another, and you and Dan were given the last one. Arin and Ross were going to sleep downstairs, on the couch, and you were sure someone was assigned the task of keeping watch. You felt bad for whomever it was, but the minute you saw the bed, you collapsed on it and just let out a loud exhale of relief.

"You okay?" Dan asked with a soft chuckle of amusement. You look up and nod to him, watching him immediately start to undress himself. You decided you'd do the same, itching to get out of this horrible dress that kept cutting into you. In the van, you couldn't really change, but here you had the privacy and time to do so. First, you put deodorant on that you found in the bathroom, and then you went to bed, feeling more fresh than what you were earlier. Dan was sitting up, all blanketed except for his handsomely hairy chest and frizzy hair, and he held a book in his hands, his brown eyes focused intently on what he was reading. As you crawled into bed next to him, you leaned on him and he smiled without looking at you, kissing your forehead.

"What'cha reading?"

"Just something I found. It's pretty interesting." Dan said, his voice husky and obviously tired. You loved this side of him, his sweet and cuddly side that seemed super sexy. If he had just put glasses on, then he'd totally be that stereotypical hot librarian. You ran your hand across his chest, feeling the little hairs bristle against your hand, and you looked at the book, then looked at his hands. You were finally alone with him, and you wanted to do so many things before you fell asleep, but your exhaustion was tugging at your eyes and you eventually heard Dan speak again, not even sure how long the silence had gone on for.

"Baby girl, you look tired. Get some rest."

God, if you weren't so fucking sleep-deprived you probably would've sat on his face right then and there.

"Yeah. I know." You yawned, half-asleep. You felt his eyes on you, but you weren't too sure what was really happening, since you were so tired. "Sleep well, Danny."

"Sleep well, Y/N." He whispered back to you, kissing your cheek and placing the book on the bedside table before pulling you deeper under the covers and wrapping his arms around you, pulling you into his chest and closing his eyes. You weren't sure when you fell asleep, but the last thing you remember is listening to his heartbeat and praying to whatever God out there that this moment would last for a billion years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> bahaha _"if you weren't so fucking sleep-deprived you probably would've sat on his face right then and there."_  
>  honestly I'm too tired to be writing this. but like, can you imagine Dan in this situation????? I'm WET  
> okay goodnight guys LMAOOOO


	11. First

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Warning:** Sexual content up ahead, you guys. Don't read in public. Seriously. Submissive Dan??? yes queen

You woke to the sudden sound of thunder, which made you jerk awake and sharply inhale, your eyes wide and facing the ceiling. Your heart was racing, but you managed to finally take in the realization you were safe, and you wallowed around in the bed before finally noticing Dan wasn't there, but his crisp aroma was still lingering on the blankets and sheets. You sighed, your natural hair all messed up with bedhead, and you tried to flatten it down, but it didn't want to. So, it took you awhile, but you managed to comb through your hair and get dressed in some more comfortable clothes, and then you headed down the stairs as laughter filled the air.

The first thing you noticed was Brian and Audrey playing, and he was swinging her around like an airplane and entertaining her to no end. Her giggles and squeals were mild, and you were worried that she'd draw attention from outside, but the thunder and rain was heavily drowning it out, you even had a hard time hearing it from upstairs. You laughed, watching them play and enjoy a small moment of serenity, and you saw Dan holding the camera and filming them.

"They're adorable, aren't they?" Dan asked, in his morning 'I-haven't-woken-up-fully-voice.' This actually made your ovaries scream out, and you felt a sudden pang of want in your chest. When you saw Audrey giggling and laughing, and Dan's dark eyes fixated on her, you clutched his shirt and he looked down at you in surprise.

"Danny!" You whined softly, not really wanting to draw the attention of the others, but you couldn't help it. "I have baby fever."

"Y-You have what now?" He stammered, eyes wide and trying to still film as you clung to him like a needy child.

"I want a baabbyyy!" You pointed to Audrey, and Holly slowly sidled up beside the two of you.

"Don't worry, Dan, all girls get baby fever at some point."

"Baby." Dan repeated, sweating and frowning, trying not to make eye contact.

"She doesn't mean it!" Holly laughed. "It's just this thing you get when babies are being super cute and then you just want a baby for like, a minute, and then it's over with."

The whole situation was weird, to say the least, and you quickly got your composure back, and Dan was very quiet the entire time. You think you scared him or something, because when you looked at him, he quickly looked away to try and not make eye contact. You felt bad, you didn't want him to feel pressured about you wanting a child. Hell, you didn't really want one right now, after all, it would be a fuckin' nightmare trying to raise two babies at the same time.

But, Dan was acting like you had overstepped your boundaries or something. He knew you were just experiencing something temporary, right? You didn't actually want a baby with him, right? You kept trying to convince yourself that a baby is the last worry on your mind right now, and Dan would always be the first.

And, of course, you got stuck going on a quick scouting mission with him. Everyone else had their own jobs, but you and Dan got to go out in the rain to wander around aimlessly for things that you didn't think were necessary. You had everything, why couldn't you guys just get going on the road? It was irritating, but not as irritating as Dan ignoring you as the two of you walked in heavy clothes and raincoats in the street.

"Dan?" You asked sweetly, but he just grunted from up ahead. You sighed and sped up your pace, walking up next to him, but he took a turn into another house and you had to follow inside, pushing your hood off your head. Before he could walk into a separate room, you grabbed his sleeve and heard a small rumble in the distance. "Can you like, stop, for a second?"

"What is it?" Dan said, finally looking down at you.

"Are you mad about earlier? What's going on?"

"For what?"

"For the whole baby thing! You know I didn't mean it-"

"Mad? No way!" Dan quickly said, shaking his hands. "I know you were just in a mood, or, whatever Holly called it. It just got me thinking, that's all."

"About..?" You frowned, feeling slightly relieved that he wasn't upset with you.

"About... y'know, kids. And having them. With you." Dan flushed a slightly darker color and you could feel your own cheeks heat up.

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"Well, would you? I-I mean, not right now, of course!" You added quickly, smiling a little. "Just, ever, I guess."

"I mean, I don't know, Y/N." Dan sighed, sitting down and you slowly sunk down beside him, watching his expression change, and you knew he was trying to put his thoughts into words and he found it very complicated. "It's just, the whole situation we're in isn't the best, and I don't know if it ever will be. Everyday we fight for our lives, and we manage to get Audrey safe, but it's barely."

"If we can take care of her, then surely we'll take care of any other children." You quietly say, and he nods.

"I know! I know, but it's just so hard to do. Babies cry, and they need constant attention and things that we don't really have right now. We're lucky Audrey is a toddler who can eat food and walk and talk."

"Yeah," you sighed, knowing he was right. Having a child now would only result in the worst possible things.

"And I don't know what I'd do if I lost them," Dan suddenly looked solemn, which nearly shattered your heart, and he looked in your eyes with so much love and care, that you wanted to so badly tell him how you truly felt. "Or you."

This time, you ended up crying. Because images of Dan getting fatally hurt were starting to fill your mind, and having to live without him was a completely unbearable thought. Needless to say, Dan flipped his shit and kept apologizing over and over, hugging and cuddling you, despite you saying you were fine countless times. When silence came over the two of you, you decided to break it after you calmed down.

"I've always dreamt of having a kid, maybe two. Ever since I was a little kid, I've always been sure that I wanted to be a mom someday." You whispered, and felt Dan run his hand through your hair, knowing his eyes were on you and only you. "But, will that even happen now?"

"It will." Dan suddenly said. "Maybe not now, maybe not in five or ten years, but it'll happen. When things are better, when we're happy, when we are stable and secure."

You looked at him and nodded with a sad smile on your face, feeling his warm lips press to your own and you felt him break away after a solid thirty seconds of staying completely content that way. "Hey, I know what'll cheer you up."

"What?" You giggled, feeling his hands run from your cheeks to your arms as he gave you a big toothy grin.

"A contest! We need to scout for some supplies, right? Well, how about we split up and meet back here at noon. You can use your phone for the time. Whoever finds a full first aid kit and gets back here with it at noon will be the winner."

"What's the punishment?" You felt a smile appear on your face, knowing this was gonna take a turn.

"Winner gets oral sex from the loser." Dan smiled.

"Hmm, I like that. What if there's a tie, or what if neither of us gets one?"

"A tie? 69. Neither of us? No sex."

"Damn, so we're really in it to win it."

"Yep. Be careful, and if there's any troubles, you know what to do." He nodded to the gun sitting on your hip and you nodded back to him, kissing him quickly on the lips before running out of the door and getting a head start on the next house.

You couldn't explain it, but you were feeling suddenly energized. Like, you wanted to win this contest so badly, it was making you hot just thinking about what he'd do if you won. You'd also gloat and totally shove it in his face beforehand, being a very competitive person.

You walked through bathrooms and kitchens and couldn't find a single God damn kit, so you figured that it either got raided or it was taken when the world initially went to shit. You checked your phone, noticing it was only 11:30, and you figured you had time. So, you jogged out and checked another house, wasted ten minutes on it, and couldn't find a single thing. You figured you'd grab a small bottle of Ibuprofen, just in case he turned up empty-handed. Snatching the half-full container up, you shoved it into your pocket and heard the small jingle of pills in your pocket as you ran to the next house.

You suddenly began to grow fearful you wouldn't find anything, it was five minutes until noon now and all you had was your depression and your stupid fuckin' pills that were getting to be really annoying. So, you decided to head back to the house, hoping that Dan was just as unfruitful as you in his search. You walked in a little late, and you weren't sure where we was at first. You called his name gently.

"Danny?"

You then saw something come around the corner and you nearly had a heart attack before you realized it was him. And low and behold, he was waving a full first aid kit right in his hands with a sly smile on his face.

"God dammit, how did you find one?" You panted, sighing and pulling out the Ibuprofen, earning a short laugh from him.

"Oh, you know, I saw it in the bathroom of this house when we were talking earlier. Decided not to tell you."

"What? You cheated yourself a blowjob?" You shrieked, and he let out a burst of those adorable giggles he always does, but you were too fuming to notice.

"Yeah, I just like messing with you, baby."

"No, no baby stuff! I'm genuinely mad at you." You said, crossing your arms. He walked up behind you, wrapping his arms around you in a bear hug and softly kissing your neck, creating dark red hickies in his wake.

"On your knees." Dan said, almost as a command, which sent chills up your spine. You frowned at him, feeling the tips of your ears burn.

"You want me to do it now? Here?"

"Yeah, I just can't wait, I guess."

"What if the others see us, or walk in on us?"

"Then they're in for a surprise." Dan grinned, and you were honestly taken aback by how suddenly cocky he was. Speaking about cocky, you slowly pushed him against a wall and slid down onto your knees, feeling like you were so degenerated as his greedy little eyes watched your hands trace up his torn jeans and to his crotch area.

Actually, you've never seen him fully exposed. Yeah, you've had moments where you could definitely look, but you never managed to get a good long look at it. Was that why your heart was going 300 MPH as you cautiously unzipped his jeans, trying not to freak out too much like a high school girl having sex for the first time.

"Hey, Y/N?" Dan asked, and you looked up at him again. "If you're ever uncomfortable with this, you can just say so. Just tap my leg or pull away, you don't need to do it if you... remember things, or uh... just don't feel okay with it."

You smiled, stroking his hard-on through his boxers. "Thank you, Danny." He was so sweet, how could someone even be this perfect? You almost got lost in your own little world and then you remembered you had shit to do, so you womaned up and finally managed to pull his erection out of the fly of his boxers, and you had to take a long pause, registering his length.

"O-Oh my God." You murmured, and Dan seemed amused just watching your expression change drastically. "It won't fit! I can't even eat a banana without choking!" You cried, and he genuinely laughed before placing a hand on the back of your head.

"Take your time, I know I'm big." He said playfully and slightly arrogantly, which just irritated you slightly and forced you to take action on his head. You started with soft licks, and your dominant hand lovingly stroked the member, and you glanced up at him, watching his eyebrows furrow and his cheeks grow red.

"I-I actually haven't done this before." You admitted, smiling shyly. With consent, you had to add in your mind, but you didn't want to say it in real life.

"Seriously? You're so good at it! Just looking at your cute face is enough to make me- hrrkk!" He suddenly sucked in a sharp breath as you gripped his shaft.

"-Cum?" You teased, suddenly enjoying how at power you were. "Say, when was the last time you came? Do you masturbate a lot without me, Danny?"

"Uhg," He responded, his face all red and scrunched up, "Thursday night. I couldn't stop thinking about you."

"Aw, you masturbated to me on the night before your wedding? You're so naughty." You whispered, before parting your lips and sucking on his head. He let out a short whine and you fully drank in this moment where he was a complete mess and you were loving it all. Then, you slowly moved down and managed to get a quarter way down before you felt like you were going to gag, so you bobbed your head and allowed the pleasure to course through him.

"Y/N!" He said suddenly, his hand gripping your hair and you felt a jolt of heat run down your spine, making your own self wet.

You hummed slowly as you gave him head, and he warned you before he came inside your mouth. Being the bigger person, you even swallowed it and watched his expression change to surprise.

"Fuck, Y/N. You are so good."

"I know." You grinned coyly, standing up and wiping your mouth, taking a water bottle and having a long swig before you set it back down. Dan fixed his jeans, covering himself back up again, and he just kept smiling at you and being all cute and blushy. You were incredibly aroused, but you tried to cope with it, but you felt Dan's hands brush against your ass and you glanced at him with wide eyes.

"You feeling okay?" He asked with a knowing shit-eating grin. You rolled your eyes.

"As much as I want you to be all handsy with me, I think we'd ought to go." You said, pulling your backpack over your shoulders and striding off ahead of him. He followed and the two of you got back to the house, where everyone looked ready to go, holding their things. They glanced up at the two of you and you felt embarrassment burn on your cheeks, feeling like they knew what happened although they weren't really there.

The group packed up their things and went on their way, trying to avoid being in the rain as much as possible, starting up the van and pulling out of the small neighborhood. You watched the rain pelt on the windows very gently, and you glanced around inside the van at all the people that you held close to your heart.

"The good thing about traveling in the rain is that it's going to mask our trails for a bit." Arin said, facing you and Dan with a scruffy-bearded smile.

"You're right, I wouldn't be surprised if that community came after us." Dan thought out loud. You nodded in agreement, feeling a twinge of anger after thinking about Serena trying to reclaim Dan. This only tightened your grip on his hand, which made him jump a little in surprise, and then he slowly wrapped his arm around you and tried to comfort you before you snapped his fingers off.

"We should probably switch cars soon, too." Suzy added on.

"That's a good idea." Arin said proudly, looking at Suzy with so much love and care in his eyes. You felt so jealous, you wanted to hear Dan say he loved you. Just once was enough, but still he awkwardly stared out the window and you felt your throat tighten with sadness. Why wouldn't he look at you and call you honey, or kiss you on the cheek and smother you in his love, or be the one asking for kids or marriage or just love in general.

Why wouldn't he say anything?

It hurt you, and you were afraid of saying it first. You accidentally slipped with the whole kid thing, so how would saying "I love you" to him be? Would he react badly, or would he return the favor? You cuddled up next to him, trying to hide your disheartened expression, and managed to fall asleep listening to his breathing. You really did love him. And you were going to wait, even if it was a hundred years, for him to say it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Valentines Day 2018! I hope you're reading this around that time, lol, or this will be awkward. Sort of a slow chapter, I know, I'm sorry, but the upcoming ones are gonna be really good!


	12. Forever

You hated how long and tedious things were taking, and you absolutely wanted to take a break, but life kept throwing it's pure bullshit at you no matter what.

First, the van ran out of gas when you almost made it to Oklahoma, and so the group had to walk on feet for hours on end until you ran into a town and managed to stock up on a lot of gas, assuring that you guys would be good for the rest of the trip. Arin suggested switching cars at this time, but nobody knew how to hotwire a car, so it was sort of a pointless idea unless there were cars with their keys in the ignition.

So, you returned to the van, filled it up, and continued down the road and managed to make it to Oklahoma. The group cheered quietly inside the moving vehicle, too tired to really function properly. You had a turn to watch Audrey, and she was coloring in a book this time, humming a tune to herself. You complimented her work, despite it being a bunch of blue scribbles, and you could tell it made her day.

You took a bathroom break, going with the girls out in the woods, and you came back with good news, grinning and running up to Dan. "Danny, Danny!"

"Yeah?" He asked with a small, amused smile.

"I got my period." You whispered softly, like a proud pre-teen. A big grin appeared on his face and he hugged you close, letting out a soft sigh of relief.

"Thank God. I was so worried."

Right, you skipped your last period. You were afraid that you had gotten pregnant with your rapist's baby, but you told Dan it was common to skip your period, so with this, you finally felt at peace yet again.  
When Dan first ingested the idea of you being pregnant with someone else's unwanted child, he was furious. He was ranting and raving, nearly foaming at the God damn mouth he was so upset. You were going through an emotional state, since you were supposed to be on your period at the time, so you ended up crying and he tried to comfort you saying that no matter what, he'd always help you if you really were pregnant.

Anyway, you weren't. You just got your period, which was long-awaited and one of the first times where you celebrated over blood comin' out your pussy. And for those few fleeting moments, you were so glad. Until you got in the van and felt wildly uncomfortable, cramps forming almost immediately in your abdomen. Every time you hit a rock in the road, the van would jerk and you'd mumble something and grip your stomach, doubled over in agonizing pain. You felt a large hand run across your back, gently brushing your hair and comforting you almost immediately.

Glancing up, you met Dan's soft brown eyes, and you smiled in appreciation. While driving on an empty road, all that you saw was lush green grass for miles and miles, which was much more comforting than the desert scene you were so used to seeing by now. You kept staring out the window, exhaling gently, and then you got startled by someone singing suddenly. You whip your head around, watching Dan sing out loud.

"D-Dan?" You asked, and then everyone sort of joined in on the song. Audrey wasn't paying much attention, and you were completely left out, not sure what the hell was happening.

"I want my P in your V, want you to S on my D, gotta J Off on your T's, then FYI I wanna F your A!" Dan laughed, looking at you, and you flushed a dark color. Arin joined in on the laughter, cracking up, and Suzy hummed along. Brian sang along, and you couldn't stop laughing that you cried.

"Oh, my God, you guys!" You shouted as Dan pulled you close, waving his hand in the air, acting as if the two of you were in a music video. He released you, and you leaned back, watching the entire van dance along to his song. Even without music, he sounded somewhat close to a God and just sort of amazed you. When he finished his short song, you had to process what had just happened.

"NSP songs are the best." You concluded, and Dan laughed, nodding.

"That song took so God damn long trying to figure out all the acronyms, and the rhymes."

"Dude," Arin said, a silly smile plastered on his face, "I-I love that one line, the butt climax one."

"Yeah, definitely my favorite." Dan giggled, and you watched the two act like best friends, laughing until they ran out of breath.

It was such a sweet exchange, it made you so happy and bubbly inside just watching them talk loudly about different things. Your cramps just sort of disappeared, replaced by a butterfly feeling that made your stomach flip flop around like a fish on dry land. You watched Dan laugh, his hair bouncing, and you just stared at him dreamily.

Dan finally looked back at you, and you jumped in surprise, looking away with hot ears like a school girl who just got caught by her crush. It was insanely embarrassing in some way, because you just didn't want to be that weird girlfriend who was too attached to her boyfriend. But, Dan quickly grabbed your face rather roughly, pinching your cheeks and causing you to make a fish face.

"Dan!-" You muttered in surprise before he pressed his lips to yours in a sweet manner. You jerked away, giggling. He grabbed you again, pulling you into his chest and snuggling you. "What's going on?" You asked him with a short laugh.

"You keep staring at me. Do you want attention?"

"N-No..."

"Obviously you're enjoying this."

You couldn't fight against Dan, especially when his voice was all raspy and low like this, and vibrated loudly when your ear was against his chest. It was the best feeling in the world, and you knew that Dan disliked PDA. Which, coming from him, means a lot to you.

Dan even started to hum lowly in his throat, and just like a baby, it lulled you to sleep. You felt, even in your sleep, Dan's calloused hands run along your back and your arms, and you felt absolutely safe for once in this destructive world.

When you came to, the van had stopped and you heard voices that sounded like they were underwater. You had to rub your eyes, lean up, and look around. You watched the others get out of the van and talk, and you felt someone nudge you. You let out a loud sigh, looking up, and seeing Suzy with a warm smile.

"We're almost in Arkansas. It's night time right now, so we're stopping to get some sleep. Although, you slept through the entire day, do you want to take the first watch?"

"Yeah, that's fine!" You replied with a small smile, climbing out of the van and patting your hair to lie down finally. You looked at the empty, aged cabin in the woods, and felt an unnerving feeling in your stomach, but you slowly approached it, following the others through underbrush and into the front door.

Most of the furniture had white sheets draped over it, and the scent of rotting flesh was strong, but you were certain they had taken out the biters before the entire group went in. Audrey was whining about the stench, and you just felt bad overall from an unsuccessful-feeling nap that left you feeling like shit. The group took off the white sheets, dusted them off, and laid them on the floor, getting the most comfortable they possibly could.

You couldn't sit down, or you'd pass out again, so you stood up, staring out of the window by the door. Everyone was in the next room, safe with the door closed and the window boarded up, but you just felt so serene staring out of the window. It was strange, you weren't sure where you were, but the forests seemed much more familiar and forgiving than the ones you'd been seeing for the past month. The trees were big and round, with branches that caressed the starry night sky. With no man-made light or pollution clouding the sky, it was just amazing to keep staring into the Milky Way. You could even tell the Little Dipper from the Big Dipper, which was something you always had trouble with when you were younger, for some reason.

You loved the stars, they glimmered like diamonds in the deepest, darkest blue hue of a sky, that had accents of sea foam green and purple. Sighing softly, the air was cooler than California's nighttime air, which the concrete was still hot and unbearable. It was refreshing, like a long-awaited cold shower after spending a day in the sun. You actually had to look at your skin, and you looked a bit more tan than usual. Sometimes, you burned bad, but this time, you actually were a bit darker. You were happy about it, though, because you didn't mind it that much.

"Y/N?"

You whirl around, seeing Audrey holding her blanket. You smile sweetly, although she had caught you off guard and nearly made you piss your pants. Kneeling down to her height, she shuffled closer with a scared face.

"What's wrong, Audrey?"

"I had a nightmare."

"Aw, I'm sorry to hear that. Do you want to stay up with me for a bit?"

She nodded curtly, and you smiled, sitting on the floor and patting your lap. She climbed on, hugging your chest, and you pet her hair comfortingly. She smelled weird, sort of like, this baby smell. You weren't sure how to describe it, just that she smelt weird.

"Can you sing me a song?" She mumbled, one of her fingers in her mouth, obscuring her words. You blinked, not being a very good singer, but you nodded slowly, not wanting to disappoint her.

"Yeah." You cleared your throat, and rubbed her back, trying to lull her back to sleep without any nightmares. You hoped that whatever she dreamed, it wouldn't come back, and you began to sing very softly, trying not to strain your voice into a whisper.

"A long time ago, a million years B.C., the best things in life were absolutely free... but no one appreciated a sky that was always blue, and no one congratulated a moon that was always new."

"So it was planned that they would vanish now and then, and you must pay before you get them back again. That's what storms were made for, and you shouldn't be afraid for-"

"Every time it rains it rains, pennies from heaven. Don't you know each cloud contains, pennies from heaven?"

Audrey's breathing slowed down, and she let out a soft sigh as your fingers ran through her hair, playing with the curly ends. "You'll find your fortune falling all over town. Be sure that your umbrella is upside-down. Trade them for a package of sunshine and flowers. If you want the things you love, you must have showers."

You allowed your voice to hit a deeper note, "So, when you hear the thunder, don't run under a tree. There will be pennies from heaven for you and me."

When you looked at her, she was fast asleep in your arms, and you cradled her close. Audrey was so special to you, you couldn't explain it in words how much you really loved her. You saw her as a daughter, and you wanted to be like a mother to her. Without, of course, getting with Brian. Standing up, you slowly walked back to the other room everyone was in, and you saw Dan sitting up, awake in there with a knowing smile plastered on his face.

You wanted to whisper to him, but you laid down Audrey right in her dad's arms, and then carefully walked over to him, pulling him out of the room, because he clearly wanted to talk.

"That was so sweet of you." He said, placing his hands on his hips.

"Yeah, well, my mom used to sing that song to me when I was a little kid."

"It's a really good song, I've only heard it a couple amount of times."

"Yeah, I love the soft tune. It's easy for little kids to fall asleep when you're singing such a pretty song." You said in admiration, happy that the song actually worked on Audrey too. Dan sighed, looking in your eyes, and you saw a slight glimmer in his chocolatey brown ones.

"You'd be such a wonderful mother, you know that?"

You felt your cheeks heat up and you rubbed your arms, suddenly feeling shy and awkward. God, why did Dan always make you feel this way? Like, you wanted all of his attention on yourself, and when you got it, you felt so happy on the inside. Dan's hand took yours, and you felt his fingers rub against the ring you had taken from Serena's hand.

"You'd be a great dad. And husband." You added, feeling your heartbeat quicken.

"Husband, huh? I thought we're already married."

"W-What?" You stammered, your shoulders stiffening.

"Our rings." He said gently, softly brushing your face with his thumb, pushing the hair out of your face. "You took it from Serena like a badass, remember?"

"Yeah, haha." You shrugged off, looking in the distance. He slowly reached for your finger again, slipping the ring off and tugging on yours hands and kneeling down on one knee. You blinked in stupid confusion for a second, and then you flushed a dark color, and he smiled, looking a bit awkward.

"Y/N L/N, I know we haven't known each other for a really long time, usually months go by so fast, but the time I've been with you has just been cherished. Every second I see you, my day is so much better. And I want to be sure to spend the rest of every living moment with you. I want to wake up, roll over, and see you in my arms, and I want to hear your laugh when I make a corny dick joke. I want to ask, will you be mine, forever?"

"Are you proposing to me?" You blatantly said, and he let out a bunch of giggles.

"Yeah, kinda. Without the official marriage part, though." Dan gently whispered, trying not to wake the others. You suddenly grin and nod wildly, and he slipped the ring back onto the finger it was originally on. He slowly rose to his feet, and before he could actually stand up completely, you enveloped him in a big hug, feeling tears soak your cheeks. He leaned back, stifling a laugh, and he saw your face, immediately making a concerned expression.

"What's the matter?" He asked, wiping your face and holding you by your waist. You shook your head, rubbing your tears on your arm, but feeling him pull you to look at him. Dan's eyes searched in yours, and you just gave him a small smile.

"I... I'm just so happy." You replied, and the door slowly creaked open, revealing Arin. He blinked when he saw the two of you in each other's embrace, and you felt hot embarrassment burn at your cheeks.

"Ohh, uh," Arin said softly, "Sorry for interrupting?"

You broke away from Dan's embrace, gave a small giggle, and looked at Arin, trying to wipe your face quickly. "It's fine, Arin."

"I just wanted to do watch, you've been up for a couple hours, haven't you?" He asked you, and you nodded. That's right, when you were watching the stars, you must've sat there for hours upon hours, just admiring the way they sparkled in the darkness. You looked at Dan briefly before walking into the room, switching spots with Arin, and Arin and Dan quietly talked as the door shut behind you. You couldn't pick and choose certain words, but you knew they were talking about what had just happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> gross sobbing noises  
> I'm sorry for not uploading for a long time, I've been a bit busy in my real life..  
> no worries, next chapter is going to be great!


	13. Together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Warning:** Sexual content ahead. Read at your own risk!

It was about a week or so later. It took a week to get from Oklahoma to Arkansas, because of how many stops and trips the group had to make along the way. At some point during a scavenging trip, Suzy had found a bunch of unused tents, so you all packed them just for safe keeping. But, more importantly, you were finally able to switch for another and larger van, parking the old one in front of an abandoned house and going on your merry little way. By the four day mark, your period had stopped, which was nice because you always enjoyed your shorter periods.

Passing into the Arkansan border was the most exciting thing that happened. The group cheered loudly, but Holly, who was driving, wasn't allowed to honk the horn like you usually do when crossing state borders. And, you urged them to keep driving, and you'd tell them directions, because you had a place you wanted to visit first before you went to your house.

Besides, you had to go through this way to get there, so why not? It would be a fun little break, and you doubted many biters would be up there to bother all of you. It was actually your favorite place on earth, and the very first national river founded in the United States of America. You loved that fact, and you loved to flaunt it around when you could. But, you wanted to surprise the others, because where you're going holds so many childhood memories.

It took awhile to get there, but with enough determination, time, gas, and directions, it just took around a full day, including a couple stops here and there. You were getting higher up in the mountainous areas, so of course they wanted to stop and sightsee. As you looked over the old wooden railing, and Brian clutching to Audrey, you could see the drop below you, and the rolling green hills and taller mountains. It was stunning, starkly standing out right below the blue sky dotted with fluffy white clouds. Audrey was excited, not used to seeing things like this. There were some spots where you could point out small towns, and a couple roads, but nothing was too highlighted with all the green in the area.

And so, you all climbed back in the car and kept on driving before it got too dark. You all continued on the winding road, which was making a couple people uneasy, but you could take it all, you loved the curvy mountain roads. It was just always so exciting to see all the nature, you kept staring out of the window, and even Brian had to give Audrey something to calm her down a bit.

Finally, you got off onto a more flat area where the road didn't wind as much, and you felt excitement rush through you as you saw familiar signs and whatnot that seemed untouched. Holly slowly turned, and you gasped in excitement.

"Look, you guys, in the field!"

Everyone turned their heads, looking towards the field that you were passing by slowly. In it, were a bunch of elk, hanging out in the last rays of sunlight. Some lingered under trees on the horizon, but most of them were laying down or wandering around in the middle of the field. You had always seen them at the horizon, since they didn't like cars, but they must've gotten used to the lack of humans and finally gotten around to coming closer. Audrey clapped, and the group got excited over it too.

"Deer!" Audrey chanted, and you tried to hide a laugh.

"No, Audrey, they're called elk. Although, you're not wrong, they're a type of deer."

"That's so cool, I've never seen them this close." Ross said in awe, and you nodded to him.

"Me neither. It's crazy, right?"

The whole group just simultaneously agreed silently, and then Holly continued on. You knew she was close, the elk were always a good sign of being undoubtedly close. With every inch the van moved, you leaned in, searching for a sign, and it took about five minutes to finally find one, but you quickly jumped when you saw the sign. "There, turn there!"

"Steel Creek Campground?" Asked Holly, and you nodded. The group suddenly realized where you were headed, a campground on the edge of the Buffalo River. Holly pulled in, and the sun was quickly setting behind the trees. Luckily enough, there were no cars or other tents in sight, so you felt comfortable with saying there were also no biters in the area. So, you showed the group around, to the toilets in the middle of the field, the field, and you showed them the best campsite that was hidden amongst the trees. You all settled there, with your own tents per couple, setting them up a little distanced from each other. Also, you had to set up rope with cans tied to them along the trees surrounding the camp.

Then, you all sat, joked, ate dinner, had some drinks that you scavenged, and went to sleep inside of their tents. You shared one with Dan, which was exciting, you just wanted to camp with him really. And the tents weren't too bad, they were average size ones, and you had some jackets and blankets you could lay on and underneath. And not to mention, oil lamps came in handy when you needed them. So, when everyone was asleep, you stayed awake, waiting for Dan, who had finally come into the tent awkwardly.

"This is such a neat idea, Y/N. Going camping."

"I'm glad you think so. I just wanted to see this place one last time before we go home. I mean, uh- my home." You laugh quietly, with a small stutter. You could hear the water of the river, and the air was completely still, but the nightlife was going crazy with sounds. You heard cicadas, crickets, frogs, and it all just came together so nicely. It reminded you the first day you met Dan, which honestly seemed like years ago. Then, you had a bright idea.

Speaking about bright, you saw small green lights flitting around your tent, and glowing, then slowly dying. Then, they lit up again a couple feet away, and you grinned from ear to ear. Dan also noticed them, and the two of you watched the fireflies dance during the nighttime. You glanced over at him, taking his hand gently. His eyes went to your hand, followed your arm, and then into your eyes, and you just felt your heart pound so loudly in your chest.

"Follow me, Danny."

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see." You said, grabbing a lit oil lamp, unzipping the tent and carefully walking out. Dan followed, then zipped the tent back up to make sure no bugs would get into it, or animals. Then, you had to find it, but you followed a small path through the woods that was pre-made by all of the walking it's endured. Finally, you came onto the shore, and looked out on the water. The shore was made by big and small rocks, so it wasn't super comfortable, but you had to make do. And when the fireflies wandered across the surface of the water, it looked absolutely magical.

"Woah," Dan said in amazement, looking up and admiring the tall bluffs, layered with hundreds of different colors of rock that have shown due to erosion over time. He even stared at the sky, which was the most beautiful you've ever seen. The Milky Way was so vivid, it was almost startling. You took Dan's hand, placed the oil lamp relatively close to the water on a large rock, and pulled him closer to your embrace, and he smiled down at you. He ran his hands along your back, then he allowed them to rest on your ass. You reached down, taking the hem of your t-shirt in your fingers and crossing your arms, pulling your shirt over your head.

Dan blinked in surprise as you undressed yourself, going completely nude. He rose an interested eyebrow, the one with the scar in it, and you giggled, rolling your eyes.

"I'm not about to have you fuck me on the rocks, ya' dingus. I want to go skinny dipping." You said, amused, and he flushed, nodding.

"Yeah, yeah, that's totally what I thought." He stammered, quickly taking off his shirt, then his jeans, and so on and so forth. Then, you led him into the water, which was freezing cold, and so refreshing. You weren't worried about turtles or snakes, because you had a good feeling. Such a serene feeling, a feeling that you didn't want to end. You bathed, of course, and you glanced over at Dan, whose butt was hardly covered completely by the water. You smirked, staring at it, until he caught you.

"What's that face for?" Dan asked shyly, and you shrugged.

"It's just, damn, your body is just so taut. I'm getting so worked up just seeing it."

"What about feeling it?" Dan asked, walking up behind you and wrapping his arms around you, pressing himself against your back. You sighed, feeling the stray droplets of water from his chest and arms roll and make contact with your hot skin.

"Danny!" You whined, pushing your hair out of your face. His arms snake around you, and his fingers gently caressed your breasts, and you knew his brown eyes were watching his own movements, so you just let him. You were starting to get so aroused, and Danny even dunked his own hands in the cool water, and then resumed playing with your nipples, which seemed like the best game he had ever played.

"Fuck," you whisper, and Dan's eyes dart back up to you. He leans in closely, kissing the nape of your neck, then going around and sucking on the side of it. "k-keep going." You said in a needy tone. When doing these types of things with him, you had to be super straightforward and assertive. You couldn't say no, stop, or don't, because he'd actually stop. Dan huskily whispered in your ear, pausing from biting your neck.

"What was that?"

"Hold on." You said, trying to snap out of it. He drew away, blinking at you, and you turned to face him. Of course, his eyes dropped to your chest a couple of times, but you managed to grab his attention when you began to speak. "I just... I know I haven't been able to say this. I was going to, but every time I've been so worried. Worried that maybe you wouldn't feel the same."

"What's the matter?" Dan asked with a sad smile, taking your hand. You acknowledged his attempt to comfort you, and you rubbed your arm with your free hand, glancing away temporarily then back into his questioning eyes.

"I-I love you..."

He fell silent, and you had begun to worry if you made a mistake saying that. You felt your stomach take a sudden flip, and your heart sank. Did he not love you back, or-

"Oh, Y/N, I love you too." He said finally, with the biggest smile you've ever seen. He laughed awkwardly. "I'm so happy you said that, oh my God, I was worried about the same thing. I kept telling myself, 'I need to tell her!' but it could never come out when I wanted it to."

"R-Really?"

"Yeah, I love you. God, it feels so good to say that. I love you, baby girl, yes, I love you. So, so much."

You sighed in relief, and he brought you into a completely innocent kiss. He didn't touch you inappropriately, or try to turn the kiss into something else, but it was so full of love and passion. It made you want to scream like some weird fangirl on the inside. When he pulled away, his forehead leaned against yours, and you just had to keep staring into his eyes to make sure that this wasn't a dream.

"Danny," You address, and he rose his eyebrow, his smile never faltering. "I want you to... to... uh..."

"To?"

"To fuck- me..." You trailed off, and he blinked. "Is it the wrong time, or-"

"Are you sure? Do we have condoms?"

"No, I don't want condoms. I just want you." You quickly said, shaking your head. He slowly nodded, and then took your hand, pulling you out of the water. He helped you get dressed in your underwear again, and then you guys tromped through the woods back into camp, and surely enough, everything was still the same. You zipped open the tent, and fell on your stomach on the blankets. He set the oil lamp down to the side, and closed up the tent behind himself, then looked over at you in the dim light.

You rolled onto your back, and his lips connected to yours, his hands wandering around blindly. Before he did anything, though, he broke the kiss off, and a small string of saliva connected both of your lips. He wiped his mouth on his shoulder, watching you. "How do you want it?"

"Be rough with me."

"Are you okay with that? I don't want to scare you..."

"No, I'll be okay. Just fuck me, I'm so ready."

"Just be patient." Dan chuckled, and then he kissed you again. This time, he helped you unhook your bra, and when it came off, his hands explored every inch of your breasts. Taking your nipples between his index and thumb fingers, he gently toyed with them and caused you to stifle your moans with the blankets. One of his hands released your breast, then quickly hiked up your legs around his waist, and he carefully grinded against your womanhood as the two of you made out hotly.

"Danny, yes, oh my God." You whispered frantically, feeling a wave of heat run through your body.

"Are you gonna cum?" Dan asked, and you nodded, your arms wrapping around his neck. "Do it, cum for me baby girl."

You had to try and muffle it mostly, but when you orgasmed, it was the best feeling in the world. You felt your own sweat roll down your back as you arched it, and then you sort of went limp tiredly. Dan frowned, but let you regain your strength, and then he slowly grabbed your panties, pulling them down and tossing them off your legs, exposing your delicate and dripping pussy. Dan leaned down, propping your legs up on his shoulders, and cautiously ran his tongue along your folds. You whined in pleasure, your fingers curling in his hair and pulling on it. Although, he didn't let you finish a second time, but he seemed really in heat when he leaned back up.

"Damn, I love it when you pull on my hair."

"You have a hair-pulling kink? Wow, that's pretty hot." You laughed, trying to tease him, which totally worked because he was now completely red in the face.

"You can't say anything!"

"Sure Da-" You came to a halt when one of his fingers plunged deep into your cunt. Your words spiked in tone, and they came out totally wrong. "-ddy!"

Dan paused. You paused. Oh, oh no. You just made things terribly awkward, didn't you? You sweat nervously, and he blinked down at you. "Daddy?" He asked. You frowned, looking away from his adorably confused face.

"N-No, you just caught me by surprise."

"Do you have a daddy kink?"

"No! I meant to say Danny. D-a-n-n-y!"

"Well, looks like I'm not the only one here with a kink." He mused, and you hid your mouth on your shoulder, trying not to look him in the eyes. But, his finger slowly pulled out, then pushed back in, and you let out a short-lived moan. You sure hoped everyone was fast asleep by now.

But, Dan didn't finger you for long. It wasn't any fair, you wanted to finish so bad, but you couldn't. He pulled his finger out, and in a very cocky manner, he licked your juices off of his finger. Then, he finally began to tug his boxer shorts down, and he kicked them off, showing off his size and obviously flaunting it.

"Now, are you sure you want to do this? Especially without protection." Dan asked you again, and you nodded quickly.

"Yes, Danny. Please, do it. You don't have to cum inside, either."

"Do you... want me to?"

"It's up to you, I suppose." You said, and he nodded slowly. He then put your arms around his neck again, and positioned himself at your entrance. You tried to avoid flashing back by staring at his concentrated face.

"It might hurt, I'll go slow."

"N-No, just- go..." You stammered, and he understood, so instead of going in slow, he slammed his full length into you. You squeaked in shock, and he immediately ran his hands through your hair, trying to comfort you. It didn't take you long to get comfortable, and it was so awkward just sort of sitting there with him inside of you, so you nodded to him to move. Dan leaned up, propping his hands beside your head, and then slowly pulled out, and with every little movement, you felt your own body shake in anticipation.

"Are you okay? Do you still need a moment? You're shaking."

"I'm fine, I'm just not used to this, that's all." You shake your head, and he smiled, kissing your nose, and earning a giggle from you, which turned into a quick moan after he rammed back into you. You moved your arms from his neck to his back, and you felt his rippling muscles under your fingers as he quickened his pace, fucking you with pure love and passion. You kept whining and moaning, and he even began to groan in pleasure.

"F-Fuck, Y/N." He quickly said.

"Please fuck me harder." You begged, and his hips swayed a little before he really put forth the effort in trying to be rough with you. You panted, the air hot between the two of you, and your fingernails dug into his back as his dick plowed deep into you, making your moans more breathy and your words faltered more.

"Oh my God, yes!"

"Y/N, you're so beautiful." He said, which made butterflies fly around in your stomach. Even when he was fucking you, he found time to compliment your face and not your pussy. But, yes, followed up by that, he whispered, "You're so tight."

"I'm going to cum!" You replied, and his breath hitched in his throat the second he came- which was inside. The two of you had orgasmed together, and he nearly fell on top of you from being so tired. He slowly pulled out, his tired eyes blinking multiple times before he could register what had just happened.

"Shit, I didn't mean to-"

"No, it's okay. I'm on birth control." You said with a small smile. "And besides, it's a safe day for me."

Dan nodded, letting out a deep sigh, and he took some tissues out of his backpack, wiping up the mess that he managed to get on some of the blankets. Then, Dan tossed them into the corner, not really sure where to dispose of them, and he leaned over, kissing your forehead. You smiled and leaned up, getting dressed into some new underwear and so did he. Then, he pulled you under the blankets and wrapped his arms around you lovingly, cuddling with you.

"Thank you." You said softly, blowing out the light from the oil lamp.

"I just hope you're happy, baby girl." Dan whispered in response, and you nodded, facing him and seeing his dark outline.

"I'm the happiest person alive right now." You purred, and he let out the softest laugh, and then you felt his hand brush through your hair, which nearly sent you to sleep right then and there.

"I am too." He said back to you, his voice so soothing to your ears.

"Dan?" You asked after a couple moments of silence.

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

"I love you more, Y/N."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> omg omg omg y'all  
> I'm so happy with this chapter?? like, yes. so much has happened!! wooHOOOO!


	14. Fate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter gets super emo, get some tissues ready

It was early in the morning when you woke up to Dan sleeping right beside you, all cuddled up against you. His hair was frizzy and all in his face, his mouth was wide open and drooling a little bit, and he looked so at peace that you just couldn't bring yourself to wake him up. You wriggled out of his arms, pulling on less revealing clothes, and then you unzipped the tent and stepped out.

The morning was a bit cooler than what you've previously experienced, which was extremely refreshing, since you had been cuddled up next to Dan's side, all warm in his loving embrace. You had to remind yourself over and over of the fact he told you he loved you. Dan said that he loved you! You wanted to jump up and down in glee, but you saw Suzy and Arin, and Holly was sitting beside the couple. The three looked at you, and the two girls grinned.

"Good morning, lovebird. How'd you sleep?" Suzy said, giggling at the end of her sentence. You blinked, smiling back to her and sitting down.

"Pretty good, actually."

"I didn't get any." Holly said. "You and Dan were so loud."

You flushed a dark color, and your ears heated up in embarrassment. "W-What?"

"Sounds like you had fun." Suzy teased. Arin just seemed sort of out of it, but he nodded.

"God, you guys!" You stammered, shielding your red face from them. Then, Dan emerged from the tent with a cute sleepy face, and they began to tease him a little bit for last night's incident. Eventually, everyone crawled out of their tents and breakfast was made from one of the old campground grills that were provided.

Light gray smoke rolled up as Suzy made eggs and bacon, something you had taken from the community with pride. As the group ate their breakfast with nothing but joy, you lifted your head up to face the sky. You heard an unusual rumble in the distance, something that wasn't thunder. You stood up, alert, and looked to everyone else, who stared at you in confusion.

"Shit, go! Gather everything up!" You said to them, and they immediately stood up, doing as they were told. Brian ran to the van, helping Audrey inside, and he recklessly drove over to the camp. You helped take down tents, and Holly began putting the leftover food in a cooler before lugging it into the back of the van. The rumbling grew closer, and you looked at the last two tents and shook your head.

"Get your items from the inside, we have to leave them behind." You said quickly, and people helped each other grab small items, blankets, even pillows, and shove them into the back of the van. Then, everyone climbed inside and the second the last person stepped into the van, Brian slammed on the gas. You pointed to a direction, an unused trail path, and he nodded. It was large enough for a van, but you just hoped to God that it would last.

As you drove into the tress, you saw a black jeep pull into the campground entrance. The muffler was obviously just not there or not working very well, since it was rumbling obnoxiously. You prayed that the van you were in was well-hidden enough, but you had a sinking feeling when you saw up ahead.

"The path gets smaller." You said, cursing again. "We have to get out and travel on foot."

"Do we stay together, or split up?" Holly asked.

"I only see one Jeep, split up. Take a partner, and run." You nodded to her, sliding the doors open in a panicked motion. Everyone separated into their usual groups, and you divided the weapons in the back of the van up to everyone before you all headed off in different directions. You could feel a sense of dread, and you looked to Dan before running ahead of him a little ways, his footsteps loud in pursuit.

"Y/N, wait up!" Dan said, pointing in the distance. You looked to him, followed his finger, and saw a biter stumbling in the distance towards the two of you.

"We- we can outrun it." You gasped for air, placing your hands on your knees.

"No, it's going to follow us and give us away."

"If we kill it, then the body's going to be an obvious sign we were here!" You retorted. He shook his head, pushing a finger to his lips in a shushing motion, and told you in a quiet whisper to lie low. He shuffled over to the biter, hopped up, and slid his knife into the biter's head carefully. Then, he glanced over at a bush, and picked the biter up bridal-style, dropping it and hiding it stealthily in the vibrant green bush.

You heard voices from not to far off, voices you couldn't recognize. You grabbed Dan's hand, pulling him along, and the two of you broke out into a sprint. 

\---

Serena stepped out of the car, a bandage wrapped around her arm where you had shot her. She glanced around, and four larger men wielding heavy-duty guns stepped out behind her, looking at the foreign van parked on the hiking trail.

"Open the doors." She ordered coldly, and one guy nodded to her, pulling the door open. It looked looted, like things shifted around, but the engine was still hot, so she knew it hadn't been there for long. She looked at the things, deducting rather easily that it was indeed from your group.

"They must've known we were after them, went off in the woods." She sighed, her eyes trailing down the side of the van. One man called her over, and she approached him as he was crouching on the ground on the other side of the van.

"Footprint facing this way." He said, and she squatted down, examining it.

"It's Dan's. He wears that type of boot." Serena said, as if she had been Dan's friend for as long as he's known Arin. It was sort of unsettling, but the men couldn't protest, so she looked to the woods. "I'll go this way. You," she pointed to the man on the ground, "follow me. The other two go together and search in the woods. You know what to do."

"Right, kill all except the [h/c] girl and the frizzy-haired guy." One repeated back to her, and she nodded, trekking off in the woods, gripping the handle of her gun until her knuckles turned white with pressure.

\---

Arin pulled Suzy along, and she kept stumbling behind, not very fit. Arin managed to swoop her up into his arms, trying to travel as quickly as possible before the others found them. He was running out of breath fast, but he couldn't give up just yet.

"Arin, we need to stop."

"No, we don't." He said in return, trying to keep up his pace with his wife in his arms. Suzy shook her head, pushing on his arm in protest.

"Wait, what's that, up ahead?" Suzy pointed her finger in the distance, and Arin came on a cliff, overseeing the tops of trees and in the middle of it all stood a sturdy building made with solid concrete and broken fences. Arin tried to maneuver down the side, sliding here and there, but managing to come in contact with his feet planted firmly on the ground. He jogged closer to the building, seeing biters roam around in a daze. He swallowed heavily, looking to his wife.

"They won't come here." Suzy said, pressing her lips to Arin's cheek. He let her down gently, managing to edge closer to the worn and torn building without being spotted. Of course, he had to slay a couple biters, but he managed to run to a door, open it, and shut it when him and his wife were safe. It was a hallway, and it looked to be an old factory of some sort. Arin wasn't sure, but the entire building seemed huge from the outside, so he was a bit worried about getting lost in here. Looking to Suzy, who seemed as star-struck as him, he had a little inch of hope in his chest. He loved her to death, as long as he had her, he'd be okay.

"Come on, we'd better get going." He said.

"It's so dark, though." Suzy complained, and Arin took her hand.

"Here you go, hun. Just don't run off, okay?" He tried to look at her, but it was too dark in the hallway to even tell. It was also deathly quiet, so he knew there were no biters around. He waited for a response from Suzy, but she just kept silent.

"Okay?" He asked again, stopping and looking in her general vicinity. He felt her arm shift, which probably meant she was nodding.

"Okay, Arin."

Arin kept going down the hallway, and he saw light up ahead from a window that was small and at the very top edge of the wall. So, no biters could get to it, and it was refreshing to glance at Suzy here and there while he could.

"Su-zee." Arin said slowly in a funny voice, one of his characters that Suzy recognized almost immediately.

"Oh my God." She laughed. "What is it, joke Yoda?"

"What do you call a Sith that won't fight?"

"What?" Suzy replied in an amused voice.

"A Sithy! Ha! Funny-"

"Arin, I love you." Suzy said softly, interrupting his catchphrase. Arin stopped, looking at her, and she smiled back up at him. Leaning down, he took her face and gently kissed her on the lips. It was sweet and simple, but Arin's heart was racing. Or maybe that was leftover adrenaline from killing biters. He had no idea, really, but he just felt happy to be with her after all this bullshit.

"I love you more, Suze." He hummed gently, nuzzling her after pulling his lips away from hers.

"Hey, look!" Suzy said, totally distracted now. "The sign next to this door says 'Courtyard.' Should we go?"

Arin cautiously approached the door, handling his weapon tightly in his fists, and he glanced around outside the windows on the door. It seemed empty, so he deemed it safe. Nodding to Suzy, he agreed to lead the way out of the dim hallways.

\---

"Danny, look." You tugged on his sleeve. The two of you came across a clearing, and smack-dab in the middle was an abandoned building with biters stumbling around the broken fences. "We can hide out there."  
"I think it's better if we stay in the woods." Dan said skeptically, but you look back towards him with a smile.

"No way. Do you think Serena's going to want to fuck with those biters there? She's a little bitch, she can't handle it."

"Don't you think she has people protecting her?"

"Yeah, but everyone in that community was a pussy. Let's go."

"I'm telling you, this is a bad idea." Dan took your wrist before you could walk off without him, and you glared back at him.

"Okay, if you're so worried about some biters, then go ahead and wander hopelessly in the woods. That building is our ticket to safety." You argued, tearing your hand away from him and jogging towards the old factory. Dan let out an audibly annoyed sigh before following close behind. There was a smaller building that the biters weren't lingering around, so the two of you managed to get into it. It seemed like a small office area, with papers and broken electronics strewn everywhere. You crossed the office to a door on the opposite side of the building, looking out into an overgrown grassy field that seemed like the center of the building.

"Come on." You motioned to Dan, swinging the door open. Just a little ways away, you saw Arin and Suzy jump, holding guns up pointed directly at the two of you.

"Holy fucking shit you guys," Arin gasped, dropping his weapon down to face the earth. "scared the living Jesus out of us."

"Woah, hey, you guys are here too!" You said happily.

"No, no, no, this isn't good!" Dan worriedly spoke, trying to keep his voice low. "If all of us are together, that means we're a big moving target."

"Well, we were here first." Arin joked, but Dan shot him an aggravated expression that made him shut up.

"We need to split up again." Dan declared, and you looked apologetically to the other couple. They were both obviously not wanting to give up their great hiding spot from the enemies. Dan just sighed again, and you wondered what crawled up his ass and died.

"Can I speak to you, Dan?" Arin suddenly said. "Privately. Suzy, Y/N, go back into the hallway and stay there."

You were confused, but Suzy nodded and took your hand, leading you into a damp and dank hallway that reeked of mildew. She shut the door, and you were plunged into silence yet again. You couldn't help but wonder what the guys could be talking about, and you worried that Dan might've gotten mad at you. Suzy placed her hand on your shoulder and gave you a comforting smile, trying to be there for you when you needed it.

"Hey, you okay?" She asked.

"I'm fine. Just a bit worried about Danny."

"What happened to him? He seems a little upset."

"I have no idea honestly." You looked away, beginning to walk down the hall with Suzy by your side. You were technically still in the hallway, but you wanted to get to a lighter part so you could actually talk without straining your eyes to see her face. "You- You know what happened last night, obviously."

"Yeah, did something else happen?" Suzy spoke softly, her voice bouncing off of the cold concrete walls. You wanted to say no, that the night was perfect, but you weren't sure what could've been the cause of Dan being upset.

"I don't think so. But... it was the first night I told him that I love him."

"Well, he should be leaping for joy right now. Come on, he loves you too. That doesn't have to do with it." Suzy said, making a thinking face.

"But what if he doesn't truly love me? Or he regrets having sex with me? Maybe I'm not pretty. Or maybe he's scared." You began to fret, and Suzy grabbed your arm, causing you to turn and look at her in the filtered, yellow light.

"He loves you, so much. He has ever since he first saw you. I bet having sex was just a plus for the two of you. You shouldn't even worry about if you're pretty or not, because first of all, you're drop dead gorgeous and second, it's the apocalypse. Nobody's going to show up with dyed platinum blonde hair, shimmering blue eyes, and fair, clear and clean skin, to try and steal Dan away with just looks."

"Except for-" You began.

"Serena may be pretty, but she's fucking fake." Suzy cursed, and caught you off guard. "Besides, what would Dan be scared about? Have you given him anything to _be_ scared of?"

"Yes." You immediately said without any hesitation. "He could be scared of loving me. You know, people are dying so easily because of these... creatures. What if I die? What will he do?"

"He'll keep going. No matter what happens, we all will stay standing strong for those who we lost. I know it doesn't sound great to hear, but it's true. We can survive this, with or without each other."

You smiled at Suzy, knowing what she said was nothing but truth. You felt a soft breeze and looked around for the source, seeing a lit up room with no door at the end of a separate hallway. "Holy shit," you said in surprise, walking towards it.

"Wait, where are you going? They told us to stay in the hallway."

"That's a cafeteria! Suze, come on, we can just stop to get some food before we head back."

Suzy seemed uncertain, but she nodded in agreement. She trusted you, she put all of her heart into it, and so she followed you into the lit-up cafeteria. Tables, chairs, and unmoving bodies littered the floor, but you walked towards the kitchen and looked around for food, which you didn't find much. But, you did find a couple cans of beans and soups, which was a definite score. Setting your backpack down on the floor to place the cans inside, you finally heard it.

Gunshots, rapid fire, rang into the air and you paused like a deer in headlights. So did Suzy, frozen by your side. She drew her gun, and you grabbed your machete that you had just cleaned yesterday. You didn't like dirtying up weapons, but if it came around to it, you'd like to avoid anything at all costs.

"Was that... them?" You ask, thinking of the guys. She shook her head, turning to you.

"No. That came from the way Arin and I entered. And the rapid fire- we don't have any machine guns. None of us."

"Fuck." You said. "They're here?"

Suddenly, distantly in the hallway you just came from, a door slammed and you heard two pairs of footsteps. Suzy backed up against you and you shoved the cans in your backpack before slinging it on.

"Come on," you whispered to her, taking her hand. "Let's use the stairwell over here."

"But- Arin-" She replied, but you hushed her by tugging her to the stairs. They were dark, and there were ones that went up and ones that went down. You decided going down stairs was much easier and quicker, so you tried to sprint down them with Suzy by your side.

"I'm sure the guys will be okay. They always are, you know?" You assured her, and she didn't respond. You hoped to God you were right, to say the least.

You hit the bottom floor after so many God damn stairs, and the rank smell of mildew nearly blinded you. You held tightly onto Suzy's hand as you pulled her away from the stairs into a narrow hallway. It was nearly pitch black, probably being underground. You had to strain your eyes horribly, so you pulled out a flashlight and tried to use it to the best of your ability. You saw two separate doors up ahead, and there were open rooms that lined the hallway you were in. You didn't want to check inside the rooms, heading just towards the two doors. You hoped maybe one led to outside, but you weren't certain it would. It would definitely be good to hide out in one of them at least, and barricade the door with whatever may be in the room.

Suddenly, there was a loud threatening gurgle right in your ear. You screamed in fear, dropping the flashlight and letting go of Suzy's hand. The second the flashlight hit the floor, the light flickered off and you scrambled around, searching for it blindly with your hands. While you searched, your fingers brushed against it and you heard Suzy let out a shrill shriek of just pure agony. What was happening? What? A gunshot was heard and something hit the floor. Your head began to throb and chime with the gunshot sound, but you continued to smack the flashlight until it came on. You whirled around to face behind you, seeing a horrific sight.

A biter that had been covered in mold and been rotting away was laying limp on the ground, and you turned to look at Suzy, who looked like she was in shock. Her gun was in her right hand, obviously what had killed the biter, but her-

Her left... arm.

Red and stripped of the skin, her forearm was bleeding out profusely. Teeth marks were imprinted on her beautiful pale skin, and she started to choke on her sobs in pain.

Suzy was bitten.

Suzy was going to die.

"Oh my fucking God, no. Please, God, don't do this." You pleaded, crying also. You hurried to her, trying to calm her down. But she just kept crying and crying, and you knew the two of you were dead. Surely, someone had heard you down here, and it was never going to end well. You pulled Suzy into your arms, lugging her to the left door and swinging it open. It was dark until you shone your flashlight into the room, seeing old desks and chairs and ripped up paintings. There was also a sign next to a door with a stick figure on some stairs. You put Suzy down on the floor, shutting the door and moving a stack of chairs against it. Then, you placed your flashlight to face up and shine on the ceiling, allowing a little bit of visibility for the two of you.

"Suzy, hang in there."

"No, no, no." Suzy kept saying, crying wildly. "Go on. Please."

"Shut the fuck up, I'm not leaving you! I-" You looked down at her, her helpless little body all crumpled up and her right hand caressing her left arm.

She was going to die. There was no other way you could save her.

Your head slumped against her shoulder, and you cried. Then, you saw something glint in the dim light. It was the machete resting on your hip, clean and ready for use.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


	15. Okay

"Suzy, listen to me." You tried to speak calmly, but your voice was trembling no matter what you did. You had never done something like this before to a living, breathing human being. It was the thought that you could kill her that scared you. But, Suzy's constant and giant tears kept rolling down her cheeks. You knew she was in ultimate pain, but you couldn't allow her infected arm to spread across her body.

"Listen, listen." You said, grabbing her shoulders firmly. "I need you to- to bite down on this." You slowly pulled out a shirt from your backpack, holding it to her. She took it hesitantly and you pulled off your belt, wrapping it above her elbow and tying it as tightly as you possibly could.

"Wait, Y/N-" Suzy began, and you paused, looking at her with love and concern. "-are you going to... cut off my arm?"

"Yes! It'll be quick, please, don't worry."

"No, don't!" Suzy said, pushing you away. "You have to get out of here. Serena could be down here any second, or biters could flood the area."

"I'm not leaving you behind." You said boldly. As much as you wanted to take your shit and sprint out of there, you knew that the door would stay closed for a while longer. "We are going to do this. I'm sorry."

You pulled your machete to face her, and she began to shake in fear of the pain. You were just as afraid of killing her by the shock, or just losing her because of too much blood loss. You had to do it soon, _you had to do it now._ You positioned yourself to hold her arm down, cutting off blood circulation a bit more than what the belt could do, and you held the machete over your head. Suzy looked fearfully at you and you glanced up at her, meeting her eyes.

"If I can't make it... please tell Arin I love him. So much. He was my world."

"You're going to make it. Now, clamp your teeth down on that and turn your head away."

Suzy sat there, looking at you, but she slowly stuffed the shirt into her mouth, her jaw tightening as she looked away, her eyes squeezed shut. You returned your gaze down at her arm that now has a puddle of blood circled all around it. Your clothes were getting dirty, but you didn't care anymore. To you, blood had become something regular to see. You swallowed heavily, feeling a lump in your throat. You had to say a silent apology to Suzy, and you might have also sent a prayer to whatever God that had abandoned all of you in this time of need.

Your palms were sweaty, and the handle of the machete was getting slick. You had to do it now. Do it now! Do it! You gripped the handle until your knuckles turned white with pressure, and you inhaled deeply and held your breath. You didn't want to hesitate any longer, knowing that if you did, you wouldn't be able to have the courage to amputate Suzy.

Quickly, you rushed the machete down and used all of your force and denied all of your common sense. The sharp blade cut through her skin like cheesecake, something so soft and delicate, and it continued to go further and further into her meat like she was some sort of poor animal being butchered for food. Even with the cloth in her mouth, you heard Suzy let out a bloodcurdling scream that you knew would haunt you for the rest of your life. Her nerves were still attached, though, and her fingers clawed at the dirty and moldy floor. The sound of her nails scraping at the floor sent chills up your spine, and you felt the machete hit something hard and stop.

"Fuck, what the fuck?" You cried, knowing for sure it was her bone. Suzy squirmed in pain, her tears soaking the shirt in her mouth. Why didn't it cut through? Blood spurted out of her open wound and landed on your clothes and arms, and you slowly but surely pulled the weapon back out of the path it had cut. You had to think quick, how could you make it cut through her arm? Standing up, with your boot on her hand, you felt a rush of sorrow and adrenaline as you swung the machete downwards again. This time, you heard a sickening crack and the machete clinked against the floor. You have successfully amputated Suzy's arm, but blood was gushing out everywhere in all sorts of places.

You scrambled for your backpack, pulling out a big wrap of bandages. Suzy went quiet, and her body went limp, which made you pause in shock.

Did you kill her? Was she dead? You quickly pulled her long black hair out of the way, pressing your ear against her chest. A faint beating noise was heard, and a wave of relief washed over you. Then, you quickly wrapped her arm up in bandages. You kept going around, and around, and around. Something hit the door, causing you to jerk in surprise, but you noticed it was only a biter. Turning back to Suzy, you went through an entire roll of bandages just to try and keep her blood-soaked stub from bleeding through. Then, you nestled the machete out of the cold stone floor, putting it back in it's safe sheath. You took the shirt away from Suzy's mouth, wrapping it around a belt loop, and you hauled Suzy up in your arms as you swung your backpack back on.

"Come on, Suze, you're okay. We're getting out of here."

You knew she wouldn't be able to hear you. You mostly said it for yourself, and your skin felt hot where Suzy's blood had been. Suzy was pretty heavy against you, trying to lug around another fully-grown female was quite difficult. But, you reached the stairway, and you slowly opened the door. The stairs were dark, but the flashlight managed to light them up. You saw bodies, parts of bodies, and the entire stairwell just reeked of corpses. You had to breathe through your mouth, but you could almost taste the rotting stench, too. So, you hurriedly went up and up and up what seemed like hundreds of stairs until you got into a small room with a single door. Opening it, you were nearly blinded by light.

You were finally outside. You stumbled out with Suzy by your side, and you knew you couldn't keep up with her for long. You were going to have to stop eventually, you convinced yourself. You saw the courtyard you were in not too long ago, so you decided to walk towards it. But, you heard gunshots again coming from the courtyard, so you had to be more careful approaching it. As you stepped towards the courtyard, you peered around the corner of a building. You saw three figures, two of which you recognized.

Dan and Arin stood side by side over a body on the ground. You got hopeful that it was Serena on the ground, but the figure was wearing all black, was much larger, and was definitely not Serena overall. But, still, you stumbled towards them, hot tears rolling down your cheeks.

"D-Danny! Arin!" You cried out to them, and both of their heads snapped to face you. Both of their expressions went from grim to grimmer. Arin's eyebrows furrowed in worry and he dropped his gun on the ground, going into a full sprint towards you and Suzy. He quickly took her into his own arms and fell to his knees, all three of you on the grass crying.

"What happened?!" Arin sobbed, looking at his unconscious wife. He gently caressed her cheek, looking at her missing arm.

"A-" You started, unable to continue with your sentence. As Dan jogged over, you just felt more horrible when you cried. You felt ugly, and like you couldn't protect Suzy. "A biter." You finally said, and Arin's head fell, his forehead touching against Suzy's. Dan quickly took your hand, pulling you up into a tight hug and he brushed your hair with his hand.

"I'm so sorry." Dan whispered, and you just cried into his shoulder, making his shirt damp as you clung onto him, drinking in his scent that you could never get tired of. "Never leave my side ever again, okay?"

"Okay." You cried, hiccupping over your own tears. Dan slowly released you, walking over to Arin, who kept kissing Suzy multiple times all over her face.

"Come on, man, we've got to go." Dan quietly said, and Arin nodded in agreement. Dan helped him get Suzy on his back, and everyone set off back into the woods. You lingered behind the group, feeling nothing but remorse in your chest, and it choked you up to see Arin like that.

"What's wrong?" Dan asked you as he slowed to your pace.

"I just... feel so bad. I couldn't save Suzy."

"But you did, Y/N. She was bitten, yes, but you couldn't have helped that. You saved her life by getting rid of her bite."

Dan was right, wasn't he? Dan slowly pulled you closer, holding your hand as you walked beside him. You felt a little better, but you just had a thought that crossed your mind: you should've been the one to suffer such terrible injury. Why was it Suzy, of all people? The kindest person you've ever met, the woman who's willing to give anything for her friends, the person who had done nothing wrong. If she was able to suffer from something as terrible as this, then anybody could.

Anyone.

You looked at Dan, and he returned a loving but deeply saddened expression. As the small group trekked through the woods, you just stayed silent for most of the time. You felt horrible, almost sick, and the sounds of Suzy's pain replayed in your mind. Her scream, the machete cutting through her bone, the sloshing of her blood. Before you know it, you saw your van in the distance. But, there was no Jeep behind it. You frowned and moved up ahead, looking around.

"Where the hell did it go?"

"Someone must've ran away." Dan said, looking around. "Brian? Ross? Guys, anyone here?"

No response. So, Arin took Suzy and helped her get comfortable in the van. Meanwhile, you and Dan went on a very, very quiet journey to go find the others. It was hours and hours, but the two of you eventually managed to find everyone together. Ross had been shot in the leg and Holly was tending to him, and Brian and Audrey were scratched up a little. Apparently, one of Serena's goons had almost shot Holly, but Ross got in the way and took the bullet. Then, the two ganged up against her goon and killed him. Audrey got into a thorn bush and Brian had to get her out, and overall the group just wasn't doing okay. So, you offered to carry Holly as Dan and Brian helped Ross limp back to the van. The others were also informed about what happened back at the abandoned factory.

"So, the guy we killed," Dan panted, working hard trying to keep Ross up. "was probably one of Serena's guys. Not sure how many she brought with her, but I'm thinking she ran off without 'em."

"Why would she do that?" Ross asked with a painful frown.

"Probably scared. She can't handle herself out here." You butted into the conversation, your blood boiling at the thought of Serena. God, you wished you could just choke her to death. Well, eventually, the group got back to the van and everyone rested there for a little while before doing anything. It was probably midnight, so you all slowly returned to the campsite and picked up your few remaining tents before sleeping in the van. It was too dangerous to try and get out to settle down, and the person sitting in the driver's seat was the one who kept watch. When it was Dan's turn, you sat up front with him and stayed silent as he kept an eye out.

"Y/N," Dan said quietly. "what's the matter?"

Dammit, he must've noticed you looked relatively upset. You shrugged, almost as if it was nothing, but you knew what bothered you.

"Are you mad at me?" You softly asked him, and he looked genuinely surprised at you.

"Why would I be?"

"Earlier today... we argued a lot."

"Oh, baby," Dan said sadly, his eyes softening. "all couples argue. We're gonna have our ups and downs, but we both gotta stay strong."

"Yeah." You agreed with a small smile. Dan leaned over, pressing a kiss to your cheek, but you embraced him closer and brought his lips to yours. You've been craving him all day long, craving his touch, his taste, his everything... but you couldn't. You were in a car with all of your friends, that'd be a big fuckin' mess waiting to happen. So, you kept it generally PG with Dan and stayed awake with him, staring up at the stars.


	16. Captured

It was quiet. Way too quiet for your comfort, at least. You hated it not having Suzy awake and liven the group up, but you mostly just hated yourself. When you tried to sleep, you had nightmares of Suzy's screams and all the blood on your hands. You couldn't sleep at all that entire night, and you had a realization; it would be your fault if she died, wouldn't it?

So, you were running on maybe ten minutes of sleep. Arin took a turn to drive, everyone just looked plain exhausted and worn out. The group was finally headed to your old house, which was only a day trip away from the campground. You sort of were excited at first, but it mutated into a fear of brining back old memories. You hoped that nobody would be there, alive or dead. Everyone pretty much slept as Arin drove through twists and turns on the mountain. By now, even you were feeling a little sick. Maybe it was just the nightmares lingering in the back of your head.

Dan was also fast asleep next to you, leaning against the window and breathing softly. You watched him, sort of like a weirdo, just sleep so peacefully. You weren't sure how he did it, and you felt a deep envy for sleep. Your eyelids kept threatening to close, but you had to force them to stay open because you didn't want to dream of anything anymore. You yawned, and it lasted for a lot longer than you anticipated. Then, you heard a voice speak to you in a calm and somewhat shaky voice.

"Tired?"

You look up in the rear view mirror, seeing Arin's brown eyes trained on yours before he had to glance back down at the road. You nodded slowly, but realized that he couldn't see you, so to replied verbally.

"Yeah, I couldn't sleep."

"Me neither."

"What? Arin, you're driving. You should get some rest."

"No, no." He shook his head, his fingers tightly wrapped around the wheel. "I feel weirdly energized. Like, after getting no sleep, too."

You understand, you've had moments like that before. Like, for example, when you stayed up on those school nights just to play some stupid game, and it ended up going on until it was time to wake up for school. You thought you'd be dead tired, but you felt fine the entire day, aside from the occasional yawn.

"Mhm." You said slowly, acknowledging you heard him, but not really paying attention anymore. You saw, in the corner of your eye, Dan's eyelashes fluttered as he furrowed his eyebrows, shifting in his seat. He inhaled sharply before looking over at you with a half-asleep and hazy smile.

"Hey, baby." He said in a croaky voice. "Where are we?"

"Passing through Jasper." You said automatically, already knowing this route by heart.

"I have no clue where that is." Dan said with a tiny smile. "Anyways, how's the Suze?"

"Still asleep." Arin replied. The car went silent for a little while, and you felt a dread sink in. Looking over at Suzy, she was breathing very gently and you tried to convince yourself that she was going to be okay. As the silence pursued, you felt an arm snake around you and pull you close into someone's chest. Dan smiled warmly down at you, petting your hair and snuggling with you.

"You look tired. What's the matter?" He asked, examining your face and pulling it awfully close to his. You flushed and pushed his hands away, looking at the seat and trying not to be enchanted by his puppy dog eyes.

"Nothing, it's... nothing."

"Obviously not. You can't sleep, can you? Do you want me to keep cuddling with you until you fall asleep?"

"Danny, I'm fine." You slowly push off of him, sitting up. "Thanks, though."

He rose an eyebrow at you, but shrugged. "Okay." You were glad he didn't try to force you to do anything, but you did miss his embrace after a couple moments of sitting by yourself.

The summer day was incredibly long, and annoying at that. The summer heat was getting to you and the rest of the group, and you even had to smack a few mosquitos after finding them feeding on your arm. Surprisingly enough, you hardly saw any biters wandering around out here. It was such an unpopulated area that not even corpses liked to be nearby. You stared out your window at the grass, the trees, the rolling mountains and lakes, and you felt a sense of nostalgia.

\---

"Mommy, look!" You cried out loudly, pointing out the window. Your mom laughed quietly at the elk grazing on the other end of the field.

"Yes, sweetie, elk."

"They're huge! Like moose!" You laughed, pressing your face against the cool glass window. A couple cars passed by yours, and you felt their engines through your own car as they rumbled on by.

"You seem excited to go camping." Your dad spoke up, smiling like he always does.

"I love camping here! The water is always cold and there's always nice people." You cheered, seeing distant bluffs that made your stomach somersault. The car smelled sickeningly sweet, like lavender, because you had to rub some stuff behind your ear to make sure you wouldn't vomit from all of the winding roads.

\---

"Y/N? Y/N?" Asked Dan, who gently touched your shoulder. You snapped out of it, finally blinking back into present day and turning to face your fiancé. Or husband. You didn't know, really. Just that he was yours.

"What?"

"We're going to stop at this town, you want to come scavenge?"

You thought about it and shook your head slowly. "I'll... stay behind this time."

Dan didn't seem to mind, though. He just nodded in understanding, gently petting your hair to which you smiled at. Then, the car slowed to a stop and Arin, Dan, and Holly left the vehicle to go look for supplies and food. Brian and Ross were wide awake and silently staring out the window, Audrey nestled on her dad's fast asleep. Suzy was in the spot she was originally put in last night, and minutes passed before you heard someone move in their seat.

You looked back, seeing Suzy's head turn a different way, and you nearly hopped out of your seat and hit your head on the ceiling of the car. "Suze?" You asked gently, not trying to raise your voice above a whisper. The boys looked at you, then her, and watched in anticipation as Suzy slowly opened her eyes.

"Thirsty." Suzy said immediately, her voice raspy. You scrambled to get a water bottle, giving it to her. She reached up with her hand, taking it, and she managed to open it with one hand before chugging the entire bottle down. Once she finished the entire thing off, she took a deep sigh and her eyes led down her chest and to her amputated arm, but she didn't seem to freak out. Instead, her response was just a sorrowful expression, which led you to believe she wasn't in any pain physically.

"I'm sorry." You said softly, your gaze falling. "I-I didn't want to..."

"It's okay, Y/N." Suzy interrupted you, but you had already trailed off by then. "I understand. You did it to save my life, and you did."

You felt a little better about the situation, pulling your feet to your chest. She looked around at her surroundings finally, looking a bit lost and confused. You had to fill her in on the details that happened while she had been unconscious. Suzy stared out the window, and you knew that she was awaiting Arin's return, but you weren't sure how long they'd be out. The boys took turns talking to Suzy, and even Audrey woke up to comfort her. It was a bittersweet reunion, and you just wished for it to be the night before last again, where you were safe in Dan's warm embrace.

\---

Dan didn't look back at the van as he walked with the others away from it, he was certain they'd be okay. They had Brian and Y/N, and surely they'd be able to protect the others. Maybe he should've stayed behind, he thought, as they walked towards a small ghost town. But, they did need as many hands as they could get when getting supplies and food. He shook the thought out of his head as his two friends walked by his side, Arin leading them like always.

"Should we split up?" Holly said solemnly, the pep in her voice nearly all faded by now.

"No, I think it'd be easier to travel together." Arin replied, drawing his gun that was by his side. Dan nodded in agreement, although he wouldn't have minded splitting up. He did want some peace and quiet to his thoughts, which were racing with different things. Most of all; you. He couldn't get you out of his mind, and it was like he was being driven crazy. He wanted to help you so desperately, but you did shut him out after the experience with Suzy. He began to wonder if you were just upset about it, or didn't want to talk to him anymore. He felt anxiety rise up in his chest, begin to choke him up, but he tried to put the thought aside as they edged closer to a small convenience store.

Arin cautiously hit his hand against the motionless automatic sliding glass doors. There was absolutely nothing inside, he declared, after waiting five minutes. So, he forced the doors to open and walked inside, still holding his weapon tightly in his grip as he picked up items they needed. Holly went off to some canned food aisle, but Dan seemed sort of out of it. He walked around, not sure what to pick up, but he saw a medicine aisle and slowly approached it.

It was quiet in the entire store except for the sounds of rustling coming from Arin and Holly, who were both on their knees picking up items they needed. Dan looked up and down the dark aisles, noticing some small boxes on the shelves. He walked up, picking one up, and examined the box with a blank face. It was a pregnancy test carton, with the actual test still safely packaged inside. He looked around, then shoved the box into his pocket, almost as if it was just on impulse, without any thoughts. He snagged a couple more boxed items from that area before heading on over to the canned foods to help Holly out.

When they were finished, they left the store and was about to head back, but he heard loud banging and snarling not to far off in the distance.

"It's probably just a group of biters. We ought to get going." Arin said, but Dan took his sleeve before he could start walking away.

"Wait." Dan said, frowning and trying to discreetly follow the source of the awful noise. He slowed down by the corner of a building, looking around it and spotting a small group of biters surrounding a big black Jeep. Dan frowned, seeing how the clawed at the windows and rocked the vehicle back and forth. Arin and Holly noticed it too, and there were no words exchanged before Dan sprinted toward the car, drawing the attention of the biters.

"Dan, what the hell are you doing?" Arin called after him, running by his side. Holly struggled to keep up, and Dan swung down his machete onto the biters, hacking and slashing at them. With Arin and Holly's help, they managed to take down all of the biters all together.

"What the hell was that?" Arin said, taking Dan's arm firmly. Dan shoved him off with a frown, looking to the black Jeep and motioning towards it with his eyes.

"Don't you recognize that car?" Dan said, before leaving his two friends and approaching the car. He didn't see anyone sitting up in the seats, but he nearly tore the door off as he swung it open, exposing Serena sitting on the floor, her hands covering her head, and her entire body trembling.

"D-Dan!" Serena said in shock, sitting up. Dan quickly pulled his machete back into his sheath before retrieving his gun, holding it between her eyes with a threatening look. Serena's eyes blew wide and she backed up against the other door, her hands shaking wildly as she rose them up. "Wait, don't shoot."

"Get out of the car." Dan said slowly and coolly. Serena slowly scooted out, placing her feet on the ground. Dan motioned to Holly, who nodded and patted Serena down. She pulled a pocket knife out of her boot, shoving it into her own pocket and nodding to Dan before he began to speak again.

"We're going to take you with us." Dan said with a small smile. Arin wanted to object, but he couldn't find the words against Dan's actions. So, the group began to walk silently with Serena in the front of them, back to the van.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lol stupid ass serena


	17. Everlasting

You had gotten completely caught off guard by seeing figures walk towards the van in the mirror. At first, it was instinct to think it was biters, but no- it was just Dan, Arin, and Holly, returning back with their needed supplies. But, you saw a forth figure, and you had to rub your eyes intensely. Who was that? Someone they found? A biter? What was going on? You frowned and told the others to stay put as you slid open a door, stepping out and trying to see it better. When, it struck you over the head.

That was Serena. They had found Serena. Why hadn't they just killed her on spot, and why in hell are they leading her to _your_ van? You felt a surge of anger and resentment, and your fingers curled into your palms to make fists. Rage bubbled up inside of you as you thought back to the day she tried to steal your Dan away from you. You started towards them, meeting them halfway.

"Y/N," Dan softly spoke, but you couldn't stop staring at Serena. You reeled back, your fingernails cutting into your palm, and you punched Serena square in the jaw. She fell backwards and Holly let out a squeak of surprise. Dan caught Serena, who just so happened to stumble into his arms, and you watched her crimson red blood drip from in between her lips.

"What the hell?" Dan said with a frown, sort of shoving the poor girl out of his hands.

"She deserved it."

"She already got shot in the arm, damn."

"H-He's right, you know." Serena stuttered, covering the place where you hit her. You glared at her and she piped down, before Dan shook his head and began to speak again.

"We're going to keep Serena with us. If her people start looking for her, then it's better to have her than just kill her."

"What?" You shrieked. You could not handle the idea of having Serena around, it aggravated you beyond words. Arin made an uneasy face, but Holly stepped up.

"Dan's right. If her people find her with us, we could trade them for supplies."

You suppose they had a good idea, but trying to lug around some immature little girl all the time sounded like absolute hell. You, of course, didn't want to do it. And you wouldn't hesitate to snap her petite neck, either. She was so comfortably in range of your attacks, yet you didn't want to ruin anything for the future of your group. You thought to yourself, if you kill her, then quite possibly the community wouldn't be afraid of hurting your group either. So, you held back your retorts and just looked away, trying your hardest not to make eye contact.

"Arin," You suddenly addressed, trying not to show your shaky voice. "Suzy's finally awake." Without any words, Arin blinked and quickly jogged over to the van, sliding open a door and smiling. He just hugged Suzy, feeling tears race down his cheeks.

"Suze..." Arin choked on his tears, and Suzy smiled, hugging him back tightly. "I was so worried. You have no idea how happy I am right now."

"I'm happy too." Suzy replied in somewhat of a whisper, and the two shared the rest of their intimate moment hugging and kissing each other. Holly and Ross reunited, but it was less gooey than Arin and Suzy's. The others also didn't take well to Serena's appearance, but nobody could really go against it. Even Arin didn't quite agree with this idea at first, so you began to suspect that he was slowly losing his ideal leadership quality, and Dan led the group most often now. As Brian took a turn to drive, Serena sat up front with a blindfold on and was able to be watched by everyone. You sat next to Dan, happy that he was finally back in your arms, and you disregarded the fact Serena even existed.

"I'm sorry." Dan quietly said to you, his voice nearly drowned out by the engine and the soft voices coming from different seats and certain people. You looked up at him with a loving expression, admiring his features up close. He was growing a beard on thick, and you loved how scruffy he looked. That little scar in his eyebrow, his wide dark brown eyes, and his frizzy yet soft hair. All of it was important to you.

"What for?"

"I know you don't like Serena. Believe me, I think none of us do. But, I think we can really do this. Everything's going to be okay." He assured, and you nodded, trying to understand where he was coming from for the most part. It wasn't your way of going about things, but you doubted that the community would find you guys even if you did kill Serena.

The van moved along the road, slow and steady. You just wanted to go home, lay down, turn on Netflix, and cuddle with your cat, Taffy. You remember her deep purr that always comforted you when you needed it most. And right now, you definitely could use a good snuggle session with Taffy. But, you guessed, you'd just have to settle with Dan's embrace. You leaned closer to him, and he held you immediately. You were so happy, so satisfied, and just so thankful to have him by your side.

You felt something in his pocket, or at least you thought it was in his pocket. You frowned as your forearm brushed against the stiff object, and you flushed a dark red color thinking of all the possibilities. But, Dan didn't seem too uncomfortable, so you knew it just couldn't be what you had lowkey hoped it would be. You ran it down your arm, feeling it poke you with a small sharp jab and you almost had to recoil in confusion. What in the absolute hell was in this man's pocket? You grabbed it through his jeans and he jerked, his eyes flying open.

"W-Woah there, Y/N." Dan stammered, caught completely off guard. You kept the frown scribbled on your face as you tried to grab what seemed like a small cardboard box out of his pocket, but he quickly pushed your hand away. Your determined eyes met his and he looked like he was sweating nervously, which just made you grow more curious about the strange box.

"Wait, don't. I-It's uhh... a surprise for later." He trailed off, and you leaned up.

"Really?"

"Really. I'll show you when we get to your house."

Right, you told yourself, Dan wouldn't hide it from you for too long. Now that you think about it, he's never hidden anything from you. You smiled from satisfaction and nodded, leaning back down and snuggling against his broad chest. You wanted to go to sleep, but you hated sleeping in a vehicle unless you were dead tired and ready to pass out. So, you obviously didn't, but that same old excitement sparked up inside of your stomach and you smelled that oh-so familiar lavender from Audrey. You took a turn to drive, and it was just a couple of miles away. Your old house, just minutes away from your hands. So, you took things slow and drove through the hills and mountains, every second you inched closer to the past.

Then, you took your road. It was dirt, mostly, but gravel popped and sounded underneath the tires and you didn't even care how loud it was. It was a sound that you truly had to admit that you missed. Although, Audrey in the back started to whine and get scared, so you had to ensure her she would be okay. But you didn't take your eyes off the road. You drove as slowly as you possibly could, surveying the area. You had neighbors, but they were all hick-ass rednecks and you really didn't like them. So, they probably didn't make it very far. Their houses were overgrown with plants, their lawns full of mosquitoes and it gave you shivers up your spine.

"Cows!" Audrey squealed, ignoring the popping sound now.

Your head almost snapped as you whirled it around to face the field on the other side of the road. You saw large figures in the distance feeding on the grass, and you felt a sense of relief that at least they were okay. They _were_ protected by a sharp barbed wire fence, and they did seem definitely happy to be feeding on all of the wide field. Although, you were worried about them, what would happen to them in the winter?

And then you saw it, underneath the trees. Your old house. It was so simple, so small, but you knew that it was just the overgrowth that had taken control of the house's size. You pulled into your gravel driveway and you grinned, putting it in park before turning the ignition off and stepping out of the van in pure excitement.

"Oh my God, this is... amazing." You whispered to yourself, feeling overwhelming excitement fill your chest up. You didn't even wait for the others, you drew a crowbar from your backpack. You jogged up to your door, trying the knob before you completely obliterated the door. It wouldn't budge, so you lodged the bar between the door and the frame, prying with all of your strength. The lock finally popped and the door swung open, and you smelled a familiar smell that almost brought tears to your eyes.

"Everything's the same... Dan, come here!" You yelled to him, wandering into your living room and picking up something off the shelf. Dan walked in and so did the others, looking around in curiosity. He quietly walked up behind you, peering over your shoulder as you showed him a photo album. It was thick and full of precious memories of you and your parents throughout your life. Dan took it, his eyes wide and sparkling. He sat down on the dusty couch, dust particles flying up in the air as the others searched the place cautiously.

After the place was cleared of any biters, you took the others on a tour. Besides Serena, of course, she got tied up in your old office. There were a couple guest rooms, but people began to claim their beds and put down sleeping bags for the ones who weren't fortunate enough to get a bed. Of course, Arin and Suzy got one, and Brian and Audrey got the other, so Ross and Holly get to sleep in the living room and you were supposed to sleep there also, but you knew you didn't want to. Dan was also instructed to watch over Serena in the office, which pissed you off a lot more than you realized.

The sun was sinking down below the line of trees and you were getting restless. You checked around the house, inside the house, calling your cat's name. Dan told you to prepare for a result you weren't happy with, but you were determined to find poor little Taffy before it was night. You know she hasn't seen you in months, but you hoped to God she was okay.

"Taffy?" You softly called around your house, in the woods, and pretty much everywhere you could think. You walked over to your neighbor's house, which looked pretty damaged since a tree had fallen in on the roof which made you realize just how lucky you had been to have your home somewhat okay. You called around the area, and you paused for a second. You swore you heard a rustling sound, and you placed your hand over your machete placed on your hip. Glancing around, you gently called Taffy's name again and heard a sorrowful meow.

"T-Taffy? Is that really you?" You nearly dropped to your knees on the leaves, looking under the disgusting porch full of cobwebs and probably snakes and whatnot.

_Mrrow!_

There it was again, surely that was Taffy. The meow was sort of a purr, and you suddenly saw two glowing green eyes glare back at you. You nearly screamed, but you heard careful little footsteps and a grimy calico emerge from under the porch. It was your beloved Taffy! She was okay, and obviously starving. Her ribs poked through her thin skin and her fur was matted and falling off in some places. You reached out to her, but she nuzzled your hand, recognizing you almost immediately.

"Oh my God, Taffy baby." You cried, feeling actual hot tears soak your cheeks as you hugged her close. She purred in your arms and you kissed her, no matter how dirty how she was. She was a lot lighter than she had been before all this happened, but you were so happy to just see her. You carried her back to your house and walked in through the door with her, the others legitimately surprised to see you reunited with your cat.

You fed her the leftovers from dinner, which Taffy obviously took gratefully, and Audrey was petting her and loving on her in your place. You were so happy right now, besides the fact Dan and Serena had to be alone in a room together. So, you were given the task of giving Serena some dinner. You smiled sweetly to yourself, a plan forming in your mind as you crushed something up and sprinkled it over her small portion of food. You did another one, just to be sure, and then you walked into the room with the two.

"Eat." You said. "What you don't eat is going to be taken away from future portions you're given." You rolled your eyes, handing her food. She was untied temporarily to eat her food greedily, and you hung out with your beloved Dan before you decided to go back out into the living room. Outside the house sang the calming song of insects and frogs, which lulled everyone to a slumber. Everyone retreated to their rooms and sleeping bags, and you were unable to fall asleep as you laid in your own living room.

You weren't sure if it was the lack of Dan by your side, or if it was the nostalgia trying to come rushing back to you. You didn't want to think of the times before all of this happened, you were so much worse even though the dead wasn't trying to come back to life and eat you. You were happy, for once, to just have all that you wanted in life; friends, a husband, shelter, and safety. Sitting up, you alerted Taffy and she meowed gently before lifting her head to watch you. You smiled apologetically and ran your fingers through her fur, to which she purred lovingly at.

Then, you scooted out of your bag and stood to your bare feet, feeling your carpet under your toes. Walking over to your office door, you slowly opened the door. Peeking in through the moonlit room, you saw Dan's head whip around to face you. Serena was on the floor on the other side of the room, a blindfold around her eyes and her snores obviously indicating she was fast asleep. You smiled and closed the door behind yourself, sitting down next to Dan.

"Hey, what're you doing up?" He asked, relaxing his shoulders against the wall.

"Couldn't sleep. Is Serena staying quiet?"

"Yeah, strangely enough. Tried to wake her up and she wouldn't budge."

"That's good, means the sleeping pills are working." You sighed, bumping the back of your head a little too hard against the wall and wincing. Dan looked at you with wide and unbelieving eyes.

"What? You drugged our hostage?" Dan frowned at you, but you quickly put your hands up.

"I just wanted to spend time with you without her interrupting."

Dan looked away, a little upset, but you placed your hand on top of his and gripped his large fingers, to which he squeezed back and made your heart race. He blinked in realization and his head nodded upward to look at you again.

"Oh, right, the surprise." Dan said, mostly to himself, before he let go of your hand to pull the box out of his pocket. When he did and presented it to you, you had to squint to focus on the dark lettering but you saw a picture depicted on the side of the box and your eyes widened. You looked up at him, your face burning hotly.

"P-Pregnancy test? Why'd you..."

"Just to make sure! I got more, too. I just... I don't want to have a surprise baby, you know? I'd rather know far before." Dan stammered, his cheeks noticeably red, even in the dark. Was Dan proposing that the two of you _have a baby?_ No way, you must be overthinking. He just doesn't want to know weeks later, when he could much earlier than that. You nodded, pocketing the box and rubbing your arm shyly.

"I also, uhh," Dan paused, as if he was some teenage boy who couldn't spit out the word. "I got... you know, protection." He showed you a small box that fit perfectly in his palm. You smiled, hearing how his voice grew smaller as he trailed off finally.

"You know, Serena's asleep. She's not waking up for quite some time." You giggled sweetly, taking the box and putting it on the soft carpet next to him as you climbed slowly on his lap to straddle him. His eyes blew up wide again as you brought your lips to his neck, pressing them against it and pushing his hair out of the way. But, it kept tickling your face, and you were getting sort of tired of it. Right as you felt his hands pull you closer, one of yours traced up his arm and his neck, gripping his hair and yanking on it. He let out a short whine under your fingertips, and you loved every moment with him.

"I forgot you enjoyed that." You whispered, trying to keep the mood by allowing your breath to warm his neck. He was panting also, and he frowned at you.

"No, you didn't."

"You're right."

You smothered him in your kisses, your lips passionately pressed against his in a heated battle for dominance. He kept trying to grope your ass, but you just tugged on his hair and tamed him back down.

"Fuck, baby girl." He sighed, trying to force your hips to grind against his. "You're really trying to get me going."

"Danny," you breathed, leaning towards him and pressing your forehead against his, staring into his dark eyes. "I want you to fuck me."

"But, Serena-"

"She's not waking up. If you keep stalling me, however, she just might." You said quickly, eager to have him all to yourself. He just kept looking downwards, gripping your hips tighter. He wasn't responding. Was it something you said, or was it Serena? Your hands slowly clasped around his face, squeezing his cheeks and making him look a bit chubbier than he usually does. But, it wasn't for your own amusement. You pulled his gaze up to meet yours and you felt concern sink in the moment your eyes met.

"What's wrong?" You asked sweetly, running a thumb over his cheek. He sighed, taking and holding one of your hands.

"You just seem... different." Dan said. "It's hard to explain."

"Different?" You say in surprise. You didn't _feel_ different. "I mean," you began, "I did have to amputate Suzy. That was... horrifying. The sound of her arm, her screams, the smell, everything... it just was so painful. And now, I'm home. As if everything's all fine and dandy."

"Is that all?" Dan asks and you shrug.

"I guess I feel like maybe we can finally rest. We don't have to keep running anymore, we have a place to stay at."

You looked at Dan, and his sweet brown eyes. It was weird, like you felt you've known him for your entire life, and that you've loved him for just as long. You weren't willing to let him go, ever, and you knew that it was unhealthy to keep obsessing over him like this. But, you couldn't stop. Every moment you breathed in the same air as him, every moment the two of you were in the same room, and every moment where your skin touched his...

...felt everlasting.

You weren't sure if you wanted this or not. You drowned out everything, the world, Serena, and the noise outside. You drank in the poison Dan emitted, and you fell in love with how it tasted. Yours and his moans were joined together, and you wanted to feel all of him. Just for this night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's gonna get saucy


	18. Surprise

It was only a couple of weeks you were all able to settle down for real. You were happy to be reunited with your house and your cat, and you began developing a plan for fences all around the area and the cow field, so that you'd be able to have a large area for yourselves. So, you began gathering materials for the barrier, like scrap metal and wood.

Of course, you were getting hungrier easier and it might've been the lack of food, or just the constant over-excessive working. You had to take a break, collapsing in the living room and taking a long swig from a water bottle.

"You alright?" Ross said, slowing down beside you. You gave him a reassuring nod and he continued on. You were happy that everyone looked after each other, and it was really warming to see Dan take care of Audrey. And, lucky you, it wasn't a rare sight to see, since he was really close to Brian and his daughter. You loved watching Dan play with Audrey, feed her, and even snuggle with her. It was so sweet, and your motherly instincts were kicking in for some odd reason.

When Audrey fell on accident, or got scared by a bug, you ran to her all the time asking if she was okay. She waved it off as if it was nothing, and Brian had advised you to not freak out, or it would scare her too. So, when Audrey got hurt, you had to keep your cool and try to stay that way until she ensured you she was okay. Sometimes, though, Dan beat you to it and it was the most wonderful sight you had ever seen.

Watching Dan comfort her, pick her up and speak in a soft and deep voice, wipe away her small tears, all of it just made you want to scream out loud.

"Hey, Y/N, can you help me out with getting the wood to the road?" Holly called out, and you nodded, snapping out of your fantasy. You approached her outside, pulling on thick gardening gloves before you picked up the raw wood with your hands, Holly supporting the other end. It was a short walk to the entrance of your dirt road, so you were happy that it wasn't going to take long.

"So," Holly said quietly, her voice accompanied by crickets and frogs, "how are things with you and Dan?"

"Me and Dan?" You said, a little confused by the question. Was she genuinely curious, or was there something going on that you didn't know about? "What do you mean?" You asked, just to make sure.

"Oh, like, is everything okay?"

"Yeah, sorry. I just got a bit worried there."

"No sweat." Holly laughed, setting the planks down on the ground next to the two-lane highway that connected to your dirt road. "I totally get what you mean. It's a rocky situation to be in a relationship right now, isn't it? I doubt Brian would allow Audrey to get a boyfriend until she's fifty."

You laughed internally, since Holly was most likely right. God, the day Audrey turns fifty? That sentence made you feel like a little old lady, but you have to rush the thoughts away before they really got to you and make you age twenty years ahead.

"I was really worried for Suzy, and Arin too. When he's away from her for too long, he gets kind of sour." Holly said in an amusing voice, but the subject was too serious to laugh at. "I was afraid he'd lose her and never be the same."

"He'd be the same!" You said suddenly, walking slowly back to the house with Holly by your side. "I mean, I haven't known him for very long, but... he just seems to pull through all of the shit that's thrown at 'im."

Holly blinked towards you and nodded slowly, looking down at the gravel that she kicked up with her boots. "I suppose you're right in a way. He'd pull through, but I've seen him lose this happiness that he just has... that he's always had. Even with Dan by his side to entertain him and joke with him, Arin wouldn't quite be the same."

You had to consider the fact she's known him longer than you have, and usually that's not quite important, but she's seen him when he was much happier. Before, when he used to laugh all the time playing video games with his best friends. You wish you could have only seen that part of everyone, where they didn't have to worry for their lives. You had a bright idea, and you smiled partially to yourself, but Holly caught onto it and teased you for smiling so happily.

When you returned, the entire group was settling down for dinner. You smelled the air, and the scent of fresh rabbit wafted through the air. You knew it was rabbit, but Audrey was told it was chicken, to avoid her innocent tears for a poor forest rabbit. You all gathered around your old table, eating out of different pots and bowls, but all eating at the very least. After one bowl, though, you were still hungry. Deciding against it, you allowed Audrey to have the second and last helping of rabbit-but-fake-chicken stew.

"So, you guys..." You trailed on, catching everyone's attention. "What are some of your favorite..." wait, what did they call it? WHAT WAS THEIR YOUTUBE NAME? Game... game grouch? Game gruff... oh, shit. Okay, wait, you know. "Game Grumps moment?"

The room went silent, almost a deadly silence that sunk into your eardrums and pierced them with the loud noise. "Well," Arin began slowly, a smile spreading on his face, "I remember this one time playing Mario Sunshine, we were trying to get into a certain spot on the pinball machine and Mario slipped off."

The group rustled quietly with laughter. "That was great." Dan added. "Arin started to rave, almost foam at the mouth."

"Oh, shut up! It's like when you paused Mario Maker and screamed 'no!'" Arin laughed playfully, hitting Dan on the shoulder.

"Ross, remember when- when in Miitopia, we put Hank Hill's face on a princess body?" Holly joyously giggled, and Ross nodded, joining in with her laughter.

"Yeah, and we put Snoop Dogg's face on that fat king." Ross laughed, wrapping his arm around Holly and hugging her close.

"Wait, what?" You laughed, looking at the loving couple with a big grin on your face.

"Yeah, and we put Sans and Papyrus, and- and Brock and Jon Snow!" Holly laughed, pushing Ross gently and trying to contain her intense giggling. The rest of the table broke out into laughter, and you just watched everyone grow happier by the second.

"And that robot game, Audrey, remember that?" Brian said to his daughter, who nodded curtly.

"Yeah!" She cheered. "I wanna play that again."

Everyone was happy, everyone was laughing and joking, talking together about their precious memories. You didn't have anything to share, but you were just happy to see everyone connecting like they did back then. Dan must've noticed you were left out, because he glanced at you lovingly and took your hand under the table, looking into your eyes as you flushed a pink color.

"What about you? Tell us something you remember."

"Ohh, you guys won't get it." You laughed, waving your hand, but he leaned in. You sighed and rolled your eyes, giving in. "Fine. One time, my friend cut her own hair and she looked like she was apart of the Beatles band for months."

The entire group burst out into laughter, especially Dan. You smiled, unsure, but you were glad that you weren't completely excluded. Then, Arin excused himself to go give food to Serena. After he left, the holler died down slowly, and you felt a little wave of sickness wash over you. Standing up and collecting everyone's plates, you slowly put them away to wash later in a nearby creek. The group dispersed to their own little places and Dan walked up behind you, wrapping his arms around your waist and kissing your neck.

"Danny," You giggled, but you felt hot. Not, like, horny, but like, you were running a fever. You were a bit worried, so you shoved him off very gently, and he looked somewhat confused.

"What's wrong?"

"I need to pee." You said quickly, trying to change the subject. You rushed out of the kitchen and outside, leaving Dan behind. You felt like you were going to vomit, but the fresh and cool air made your senses calm down and you felt a bit better after walking a little ways into the woods. You sighed, leaning against a tree, and you pulled something out of your pocket. Pushing your jeans and underwear down and squatting close to the ground, you sighed and felt a strike of fear, all alone in the woods.

\---

Dan frowned at his hands, watching as you hurried out of your own house. Dan sighed and leaned against the counter, thinking to himself, Did I do something wrong? He knew something was up, you wouldn't just run out of his embrace to go pop a squat. Unless you'd been holding it. Anyways, that's pointless and sort of out of the question, he couldn't stop wondering if he had said something during dinner, or previously throughout the week.

Arin looked at him, concerned, and approached him.

"Yo, man, you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm good. Go hang with Suze, she needs you."

Arin hesitated, but he walked away and joined Suzy who was on the couch, looking very sleepy meanwhile. Dan waited, and waited, and waited. He moved from the kitchen, to the dinner table, and finally to the couch. It was at least ten minutes until you came walking back into the house, and Dan hopped up.

"Dan, we need to talk." You said, poking your head in through the door. He rose an eyebrow, slowly walking over to you, walking through the door and closing it behind him. You took his hand, walking slowly with him and taking him to the dirt road, slowly walking and basking in the warm sunset, the sky painted beautifully with fluffy white clouds looking like plump marshmallows. 

"What's going on?" Dan softly said, looking at you. You were silent, your lips tightly pressed against each other. You couldn't find it in you to talk to him, all the possibilities hurt you and you were growing more and more afraid by the minute.

"Y/N." Dan said, suddenly stern. He stopped you, gripping your shoulders tightly. Your eyes widened and your hand messed with something in your pocket. His eyes trailed down your arm and to your pocket, but you quickly directed his attention back up to your face by speaking.

"Danny..." You trailed away, and his hands released their grip on your shoulders, falling to his side limply. "I-I... I'm scared."

"Of what? What's wrong? Are you hurt?" He examined your body, but you shook your head, tears streaming down your cheeks. "Then, what? Tell me, please, I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong."

You were hesitant.

What if he hated you?

What would happen... if you told him...

"I'm pregnant."

You slowly pulled the cleaned-off test out of your pocket, but you were too afraid to look up and meet his eyes. Your heart was pounding against your chest, and it was as if the entire world went quiet around the two of you. The crickets, frogs, every single animal making every single noise slowed down. Dan gently took the test from your fingers, pulling it up to his face to look at it, but you continued staring at your feet. He suddenly lowered it, and you looked at him through the hair blocking your vision. His eyes were wide, sparkling, and the brightest you'd ever seen.

"Danny..?" You looked up, and your eyes locked together with his own so quickly, it made your heart skip a beat. He gripped the test in his hand, wrapping his arms around you in a tight hug and never threatening to let you go.

"I'm so happy." Dan whispered in your ear, and you felt his tears soak into your shirt.

"Y-You're not... upset? Or mad?"

"No! I'd never be. I know this is so unplanned, but I'm so excited. We're having a kid! Y/N! This is so wonderful!" He picked you up, spinning you around with just pure love. You laughed, wiping your face and he suddenly let you down.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't roughhouse with you. You're carrying a baby, after all."

You grinned and nuzzled him, taking his hand that didn't hold the test and led the way back. Dan took your hand, jogging to the door, and he nearly broke it off from slamming it open so hard. The others looked up in surprise, and Audrey almost began to cry from fear, but Brian hushed her as a very energetic Dan panted in the doorway, holding up the test to show everyone.

"Guys, guys, look!" Dan said happily, and Holly shot up from her seat.

"Dan, you're pregnant!" Holly cheered, making light of the situation. Audrey burst into giggles, but you smiled from behind Dan, who made an incredibly embarrassed face.

"No, Y/N is! We're gonna have a baby!" Dan laughed, and everyone gathered around the two of you, cheering and asking questions that the two of you tried to answer as many as you possibly could. And you knew, that lying underneath, was a dark reality for your future baby.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think the gender will be? Boy or girl?  
> If there's a majority on the gender, then most likely it'll be chosen. So, vote down below!


	19. Fight

Two weeks after you announced you were pregnant, you started feeling sick. Sometimes, during the night, you'd have to run outside and vomit. Which is exactly what was happening right now. You ran out of Dan's arms and you just made it outside onto the grass before you bent over, feeling your dinner come up and spill all over the solid green blades. You cried, feeling horrible, and you sunk down on the ground. You heard groaning, and you thought it was your stomach, but when you looked up through your blurry tears, you saw someone walking towards you.

"Dan?" You asked through the disgusting taste in your mouth.

No response. That wasn't Dan. That was a biter. You tried to get up on your feet, but you felt sick again and you heaved, unable to vomit again because there was nothing in your stomach. You held your hand over your mouth, feeling panicked, and suddenly the biter flew backwards from impact. Dan had swung a bat at it, cursing at it.

"Fucking Christ." He sighed, smashing the head in before quickly walking up to you, holding you. "Are you okay, love?"

You would've melted in his arms right there, but you were too weak to do it. Instead, you just smiled at him and slumped in his grip, smelling his sweet scent that you loved so very much. He hugged you, running his fingers through your hair and rubbing your back. You felt so much better just being near him, it was so comforting to have your whole entire world care for you.

Dan led you back inside and helped you wash your mouth out before trying to go back to sleep. Attempting was something obviously not new to you, you knew you'd be awake on a now-empty stomach and it growled longingly. You felt bad that you just wasted so much food, but you couldn't help it, right? You clenched your eyes tightly, hoping this morning sickness would just end.

It seemed like hours passed before you woke back up during the night. You weren't even sure if you had fallen asleep or not, it was so vague to you. But, this time, the sickness was no longer lingering around and you felt much better by this point. Then, why did you wake up? Dan was comfortably asleep, spooning you, his breath tickling the back of your neck. You looked down at his hands, unable to move in his tight grip, and you examined them in the dark. They were veiny, slightly wrinkled, hairy a little, and you smiled at his abnormally large thumbs. One of your cooler hands slowly slid down his arm and rested against his hot one, and he nuzzled your neck in his sleep, mumbling something to himself.

Your thoughts wafted, since you didn't feel tired, and you allowed them to go to a darker place in the back of your mins that was regularly closed off. You had sudden doubts that you'd be a fit mother, what would you do with a loud baby? How would you feed it? What trouble might it cause for you?

You realized, too, that you don't have a doctor, and you'd be delivering the old-fashioned way with a bunch of inexperienced people. At least Brian might be able to help you, right? You swallowed hard, trying to pry your mind away from the more difficult times and then your mind wandered to Dan. Images of him playing with various different possible versions of your child flashed throughout your mind's eye and made your heartbeat slow. It was so sweet and made you think of life before, when your own father would swing you around in circles high up in the air. You couldn't wait to see Dan as a dad, since he was already somewhat similar to one with Audrey.

"You're awake." Dan croaked suddenly, jostling you back into reality with his sudden voice. You jerked a little from surprise, but his arms just wrapped around you tighter and you smiled, wrapping your fingers around his forearm.

"Just woke up." You replied in a low whisper.

"Mmnn..." Dan grumbled, probably half-asleep by the way he kept making incredibly sexy noises like that. You wanted to talk to him more, but he went quiet and you had to question yourself if he had fallen back asleep. But, he didn't. When you looked over your shoulder, his half-lidded brown eyes met yours and made your heart skip a beat or two. "What's up?" he asked, raising his right eyebrow with the scar in it.

"Nothing." You quickly shook your head. You rolled over in his arms to face him, your noses almost touching. He smiled weakly, petting your hair and causing you to close your eyes in a trance. You began to lose yourself to sleep again, feeling his fingers stroke your head and caress it lovingly. Eventually, it stopped, but you fell asleep right after.

The morning was hectic as usual. You desperately needed supplies, and you all had already raided your neighbor's houses. So, that meant you had to go into the nearest town, which was about twenty miles away. Now, you just needed suitable people for the job and suitable people to stay behind. Ross's wound was healing rather quickly, Suzy was a bit too sleepy, and when you offered to go, everyone looked at you.

"No." Dan said firmly. "You're not going."

"What? Are you kidding me?" You said in disbelief.

"You're pregnant, you're not risking anything!" He retorted back, raising his voice against yours. Everyone seemed to shrivel up, feeling painful second-hand awkwardness.

"It's not like the baby's gonna pop out of me any second. Hell, I don't even have a bump!" You said, your anger flaring up. Dan's anger matched against yours, though, and it was a battle that you weren't sure who was going to win.

"You could get hurt." Dan said, taking your shoulders. You tried to shake him off, to which he did, and you glared up at him.

"So could you! Anyone could get hurt scouting. Don't try and single me out as if I'm some poor little girl who can't take care of herself." You growled, looking at Holly and Arin. You motioned to them to stand up, picking up three empty backpacks and handing them both one before strapping one on around your shoulders.

"You are _not_ going." Dan said strictly, grabbing your wrist. Audrey began to cry out loud, and Brian tried to hush her by hugging her against his chest, muffling her sobs. You hardly even noticed that she was crying, but Dan's gaze never broke from yours.

"Watch Serena." You said, before you walked out of the door in a hurry. Holly followed you, but Arin stopped beside Dan and gave him a shrug before following the two of you, already heading down the driveway to the van. Nobody said anything, but you knew all eyes were on you. Were you just being an angry pregnant lady, or was Dan suddenly being too protective? You got shotgun immediately without any protest, getting behind the wheel and allowing Holly and Arin to get in before you started the engine, rolling out of the driveway.

"Y/N, are you alright?" Holly asked first, shattering the silence and trying to soften the tension on your shoulders. You just sighed and shot her a warm half-fake smile.

"Yeah, I'm good."

"You know, I can understand why Dan's so worried." Arin spoke gently, something that felt unnatural to you. "After Suzy got hurt, I wouldn't leave her side. I didn't want to. I was afraid something would happen if I looked away for even one second."

"Arin-" Holly began, but he cut her off.

"I understand you're not fully... pregnant... but Dan has this instinct to protect you, even if it risks his life. It just means he loves you, and he loves the baby."

"I'm aware that he loves me. I just don't want him to treat me like I can't do anything. I'm only two weeks along, not nine months."

"You don't have to be," Arin replied, "you're still pregnant, it won't change."

"I'm saying that I'm still mobile and able to be of help to the group. Slowly, we're all becoming somewhat lethargic. Suzy lost her arm, Ross got shot, Serena's slowing us down, and Audrey's just a child. It's going to slow down our progress severely."

"We're already where we need to be. We're setting up walls around the area and the field, and we're settling down. There's no need to be on the move right now."

"We don't know that." You said, getting irritated again, trying your best to not snap at him. It wasn't his fault, he was trying to relieve the tension, but it wasn't quite working for you. "The community may come after us, since Serena and her men are missing."

"Guys." Holly said sharply, biting into the conversation to break it up. She looked at Arin, and he shut his mouth. You didn't want to be mean or unreasonable, but these mood swings you were experiencing were the worst things ever. You felt like the were ruining your relationships with people, precious friends, and even people who felt like family. At least you had your cat, or something.

You drove into the abandoned town. Memories flooded back to you and you let out a gentle sigh, trying to not look at all the overgrown and broken buildings that were once bustling. You even drove past your old college, which just made you awkwardly sad. Places that were once your laundromat, your grocery store, your hangout, all of them were empty and dull. You pulled into the parking lot of a small gas station, slowing to a stop and turning off the engine. The other two climbed out of the vehicle, following behind you as you approached the gas station.

It was a long trip, you knew it would be anyway. But, the three of you together managed to scrounge up enough supplies for a couple of weeks, so it was good that you all decided to do this. You also got your hands on vegetable and fruit seeds, planning on starting a garden. And with the cows across from your property, you could breed them and eventually have a steady stock of fresh meat. You could start your own community, if you wanted to.

The three of you spent nearly the entire day out scouting, looking for food and medicine. You three split up at some point when the sun was sinking below the horizon, and you took a personal trip into the downtown area where your eye was caught against a blinding white mannequin wearing an elegant dress that folded like silk over the figure's body. You cautiously drew closer to the glass window, pressing your palm against it and feeling how it was smooth and as cold as ice. This used to be an old bridal shop, and every time you passed by it, you couldn't help but imagine your own wedding. You wanted your entire family to be there, your parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and countless of your old college friends.

You were so caught up in emotions, and not to mention; nostalgia. You slowly pushed on the door, and it swung open. The bell must've been broken off, since you hit it with your foot and it gave out a little _tink_ sound as it rolled away from you on the dusty wood floors. You shuffled inside, allowing the door to close behind you as you look around the shop.

It was obvious people struggled to get out of the place, there were things knocked over and broken, but the store hadn't been raided yet. You weren't sure if that was a good or bad thing, but you kept looking around at all the things you knew that once upon a time, you wouldn't have been able to afford. You picked up rings, bracelets, and even touched dresses that were more valuable than your life. Oh, well, you guess, they _had been._ Now, they're just as normal as any other old dress you'd find in a thrift store. Your eyes trailed down to your ring finger, and the ring glimmered in the dim lighting. You smiled to yourself, but felt a bad feeling deep in your gut. Maybe you shouldn't have argued with Dan right before you left, it seemed like such bad karma to do anything like that. Sort of like it would saying something like 'Wow, I haven't seen a biter in awhile.' and then it happening right after.

You picked up two matching rings, shoving them into your pocket. Then, you heard movement from deep within the store. Gurgling, grunting, and noises that didn't seem so foreign anymore. You slowly backed away, but the biter emerged from the darkness and you felt a pang of pity, as it was a small little girl. She growled lowly at you, snapping her jaw and opening her mouth as wide as can be before reaching out to grab you. You panicked, running into the door that swung inward, unable to go outside. You fumbled with your weapons, kicking her away with your boot, but she came barreling back at you, even more furious. You gripped the handle of your gun, drawing it and pointing it at her forehead. Without any hesitation whatsoever, you pulled the trigger and shot her. She fell backwards, limp like a doll, and you felt your heart hammer against your chest, almost choking you up. You had to shove her body to the side to swing the door open, quickly stumbling out, clutching your chest.

Holly ran up to you, panting wildly and bending over, her hands on her knees. "Are you okay? I heard the gunshot."

"I'm fine... biter just came out of nowhere."

"Did you get bit? Scratched?" Holly said, leaning up finally and pressing her hands against your body, examining it. You shook her off, frowning and shaking your head.

"I'm okay, really. Just a little surprised." You smiled, appreciating her concern.

The two of you returned to the van, Arin already waiting for the two of you. Before you got into the van, though, you walked up to Arin and shoved your hand into your pocket, pulling out the two rings and placing them carefully in his palm.

"I'm sorry Suzy... uh... lost her last one." You said softly, and Arin blinked, smiling. He brought you into a hug, thanking you, and then he got behind the driver's seat this time. As you were driving back, you still felt like something bad was going to happen. The entire drive back home was actually agonizing, trying to figure out what was wrong. Maybe you were just experiencing morning sickness, but it didn't feel quite like you were going to vomit, either.

As the van pulled back into your driveway, you helped the others grab the backpacks, nighttime finally arriving upon earth and the insects outside making sweet music. The three of you headed inside, being as quiet as possible. You all agreed that you'd all congregate in the morning, so you headed to your sleeping bag but stopped when you saw Dan wasn't there, all cozied up on his pillow. You thought he'd be with Serena, so you slowly walked to the office door and brushed your fingertips against the doorknob. You thought about being quiet and doing dirty things with Dan, so you attempted to open the door slowly, but the knob wouldn't budge.

You frown.

Luckily, you had the key right on your hip, so you took it off of the key chain and unlocked the door, opening it slowly and-


	20. Back

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Implied rape! Be careful, y'all :'(

It was earlier in the day, and it was right after you left to go on the scouting mission. Dan let out an audible and frustrated sigh as you walked out of the door, sinking back down into his chair. The others looked concerned, and Brian had to take Audrey to a separate room to calm her down. This was a mess, wasn't it? He was starting to regret throwing hostile tones at you, and he wanted to sprint out of the door and hug and kiss all over you. But, he heard the van start up and the engine grew quieter as you drove away.

Dan ran his hands across his face, groaning softly and trying to relieve his stress. Really, he was so happy to have you, but you were just so fucking stubborn that it really got on his nerves sometimes. You could really get yourself killed, he thought, but he knew it was pointless to argue with himself. He felt a hand rest on his shoulder and glanced up, his eyes meeting Suzy's.

"It'll be okay." Suzy said, sitting down beside him and smiling sweetly like she always does. "Y/N is strong, and she has Holly and Arin with her."

"I know," Dan said in an aggravated tone, but realized he was projecting his anger out on Suzy, who had definitely done nothing wrong. He forced himself to smile at her, which not only helped fool her think he was okay, but also help himself feel a bit better. "I'm just worried about her."

"As you should be. It was a little unfair for her to just walk out on you like that."

"No, I guess I'm being a bit overbearing, aren't I?" Dan murmured, glancing down at his hands, remembering how cold they were last night when he was cuddling up against you. "I mean, fuck, we're having a kid. I have no idea how to be a dad."

"You always have Brian." Suzy gave him a crooked smile, and he chuckled under his breath.

"You're right. And I'm glad our kid won't be completely alone, Audrey will take care of them."

"Given that Audrey wants to." Suzy laughed, and this time Dan actually laughed along with her. Suzy stoop up, patting his shoulder to comfort him one last time before walking off to do whatever she does during the day. As he looked around the room, he saw Ross drawing in a sketchbook that has miraculously had enough space ever since Y/N got it for him and Arin months ago. He saw Brian and Audrey emerge from the separate room, and it was just so peaceful, so empty, without you.

So, Dan was going to take up the liberty of watching over Serena, but Brian stopped him and offered to take his place and for Dan to watch over Audrey in the meantime. Dan agreed, and the entire day he waited for the others to return, trying to amuse Audrey to the best of his ability. He even had performed a small concert for her, singing and dancing. Audrey was content for the majority of the day, but she caught him when he was alone in a room, looking through your old photo albums.

"Danny, what'cha doin'?" Audrey mumbled, walking up clumsily to him and sitting down beside him. He smiled at her and ruffled her hair, wrapping an arm around her and inviting her to look at the pictures with him.

"It's a baby!" Audrey said, pointing to a baby portrait of you. Dan laughed, watching Audrey's small finger trace across the laminated pages and poke precariously around at the photos. "Who is that?"

"That's Y/N." Dan said softly. "When she was a little girl, just like you."

Audrey gave out a short burst of giggles before suddenly falling silent. Almost the most silent he's ever heard from her. He blinked and watched as she went still, and then looked up at him with big, round, mystical brown eyes.

"Danny, why did you fight with Y/N?"

Well, that question caught him off guard. Although, he should've expected it, since she was only a child.

"Well, Audrey," Dan started, unsure how to phrase it. "Y/N is going out and doing dangerous things. I didn't want her to."

"Why not?"

"Because I love her." Dan whispered, his voice gentle. Audrey rested her head against his chest, now staring at the wall.

"Danny and Y/N sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g. First comes love, second comes marriage, third comes the baby in a baby carriage." Audrey chanted, almost as if it was ingrained into her mind, and Dan flushed a pink color. Where in the world could she have possibly learned that, now? Well, she technically wasn't wrong. The next question came out of the blue.

"Where _do_ babies come from?" Audrey asked, glancing back up at him. Well, Dan couldn't say that he fucked the shit out of you and came inside, so he had to think of something. The stork? No, that was way too unbelievable. Quick, Dan, she's staring at you!

"Uhh, you see, when a... when a mommy and a daddy agree they want a baby," He paused. OH MY GOD, DAN, COME UP WITH SOMETHING, MAN. "A baby starts forming in the mommy's belly. But, uh, the mommy has to be a certain age, or it won't work. Also, it can also, uh, happen with two mommies. Two daddies can't have a baby."

"Ooh." Audrey said, and Dan had to nervously wipe his sweat away. Suddenly, Audrey hopped off of his lap and started yelling down the hallway as she ran to the office. "Daddy, daddy, I know how babies are made!"

Fuck.

A little bit later, Brian confronted Dan and Dan had to explain what he told Audrey. To Brian's relief, she didn't _actually_ know how babies were made. But, still, it was a lot to clear up with Brian. After eating a little dinner, everyone settled down for the night and came to terms with the fact that the three out scouting might return late or might not return tonight. So, Dan took up watching Serena, who had been trusted enough to let out of her restraints. As Dan walked in, she looked up at him and gave him a weak smile.

"Hey, I have a question." Serena said, acting strangely nicer. Dan figured it was just the fact she was probably starving and being held against her will, so he rose an eyebrow toward her. "Uhm, did you guys put something in my food? It tastes... really weird."

"Hm?" Dan said, kneeling down and taking her plate that looked like it hadn't been touched. He looked it over, finding nothing wrong with it, and he glanced back up at her. She motioned towards it, and he slowly took the fork and tasted it. "It seems fine to me."

"Yeah, maybe it's my taste buds. I'm not really feeling hungry." Serena shrugged and he sighed, putting the plate up on top of the desk before sitting down on the opposite side of the room. Silence pursued for at least five minutes before Serena began talking again.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?" Dan asked.

"I've been so mean to you guys. I was just... just upset. My father passed away when it all started, and I didn't know how to handle things."

She sounded so sad, so genuine. Dan felt bad for her, looking down at his hands.

"It's alright, I understand. We lost a couple people, too. I have no idea if the rest of my family is alive."

"I'm glad that you understand." Serena said softly, resting her head against the wall and closing her eyes. Dan smiled and sighed deeply, closing his eyes too and feeling completely at peace. He was glad to have connected with Serena on a serious note, after all the shit she's done to him and his group.

\---

He woke up in a cold sweat.

What was happening? Why did he feel so heavy?

His eyes were blurry, but once they adjusted he felt hands crawl all over his body, and he wasn't sure what was going on. Was Y/N trying to sneakily do something, was she finally home? Then, what was over his lips? Something tight, something held them pressed close to his face. He tried to make a sound, but something was _in his mouth._ Something was severely wrong, he didn't recognize the scent or the weight of the body. As his eyes adjusted, he finally saw what it was.

\---

You swung the door open slowly, walking in and coming to a sudden stop. Your heart fell, and your stomach did multiple somersaults. You felt that bad feeling in your gut suddenly overwhelm your senses. You watched as Serena straddled Dan's lap, his arms strapped behind his body and a piece of tape over his mouth. His panicked brown eyes looked at you as you saw obscenities, like Serena's disgusting hand wrapped around Dan's manhood.

You felt cold, numb, and all of a sudden it burst over the top. You gently closed the door behind yourself, staring at the two with a sense of betrayal, although you knew for a fact that Dan would never do this. He struggled under her, trying to make muffled noises, but something was in his mouth blocking nearly all of the sounds. Serena jerked back in surprise, staring at you.

"I-I locked the door!" Serena said, but this was your fucking house. Your _fucking_ house. You began to tremble and watched tears streak down Dan's cheeks. That was it. The last fucking straw.

You lunged at Serena and knocked her off of him, and she let out a squeal of terror. She struggled against you, but you kept pinning her down, her legs kicking up and trying to push you off. You felt her hands wrap around your neck as you wrestled her flat against the floor, reaching for the knife on your hip. You decided shooting her would be too loud, and too simple. She had to pay for what she did. _She was going to pay._ You began to grow dizzy from loss of air, and Dan kept kicking and trying to get out of his restraints.

You gripped the handle of the knife, and suddenly her hands went to your arm that held the knife. Air and blood rushed back into your head and you sucked in a sudden breath, your arm shaking as she forced her strength against yours.

"Die, you fucking whore!" You whispered, narrowing your eyes to concentrate better. She cried out loud, and your other hand clasped against her mouth. She tried to bite and lick you, but you've experienced worse. A heat washed through your hand and you were sure that she had successfully bit down hard enough to draw blood, but you didn't care. Nothing mattered any more right now than her death. You took the weight off from your hind legs, pressing more of your upper body into the knife and you watched as her fingers trembled before the knife slipped out from under her hand, sliding perfectly in her chest. Her eyes went wide as she tried to scream, but your hand that had gotten bitten suddenly wrapped around her neck and cut off her voice.

She writhed under you in excruciating pain, but you couldn't care any less as you yanked the knife back up, stabbing her in the chest again in a different place. Her long fingernails scraped and clawed at your hand around her neck, pulling up skin in long red streaks. Her legs flailed behind you as you stabbed her over, and over, and over, and finally she was growing weaker. Your hands were both soaked with blood, your own and hers, and finally she fell limp. Her hands released their grip on you and fell to the floor beside her. You slowly stood up, shaking, leaving the knife impaled through her chest, before hurrying over to Dan.

You carefully took the tape off of his mouth and he spit out a rag, coughing.

"I'm so sorry I wasn't here." You whispered, but he just kept crying. Tears streaked down his face, and he flinched when you touched his cheek with your hand. Hearing his whimpers just broke and tore at your heart. "I'm so sorry... she... she did things to you."

You felt like the roles had reversed. Just months ago, you used to be the victim. Now, Dan was. You wiped your hands on your clothes then brought him into a tight hug, allowing him to sob into your shoulder. You weren't sure how things were going to work out now, with Serena dead and all that. You felt like the worse wife anyone could ever have. You wished that you didn't argue with him. You helped him up, and he zipped his jeans back up, wiping his face. You glanced back at Serena and allowed Dan to leave the room before you quickly slid your knife into her skull, ensuring she won't come back. 

You slowly walked out of the room, closing the door. You felt grungy, with Serena's blood splattered on your clothes and drying on your fingertips. Dan was shaking, leaning against a wall and trying to keep his cool.

"Danny..." You said slowly. "I'm sorry you had to see that."

"She deserved it." Dan said suddenly, looking at you with big round eyes. "I- I thought it was you, and it wasn't... and she just kept... doing things..."

"Sh-shh, you don't have to talk about it." You said, taking his hands and holding him close. He was on the brink of breaking down again, and this was probably the most sensitive you've ever seen him. You were happy he was at least speaking to you, but you had no fucking clue how you'd bring up that you murdered Serena cold-blooded after getting insanely jealous. You felt bad that he had to watch you, but he must've been terrified. You didn't want to force him to talk, anyway, so you just pet his hair and let him cry quietly.

You tried not to alert the others laying asleep in the living room, so the two of you went outside, with you lugging Serena's over your shoulder. You were aware of a creek nearby your house, so you led him through the dark woods and to the creek. When you two got to a creek, you began to shovel up some earth and make a deep hole for her body, then dump her in. After covering her up, you saw the moon high up in the middle of the sky. It must've been midnight, from what you could tell. Dan was awfully silent, to which you looked up and noticed he was wading in the creek, his jeans rolled up.

"Danny?"

"Come here." He said lowly, and you blinked before walking into the creek, getting your jeans wet. He gently wrapped his arms around you, sighing loudly. "I love you."

You felt your heartbeat, and how it always freaked out when he muttered those three sweet little words. You loved the way he said it, so low and raspy, but this time, he sounded a lot more sorrowful. You hugged him close and he gripped the hem of your shirt, tapping your arms and lifting it slowly. You raised your arms, allowing him to take off your shirt. You weren't sure what his motives were, but you were uneasy with whatever he was doing, given what just happened an hour or so ago. Dan sat down in the cold river, unfolding your shirt and letting it wash in the creek.

Right, that's what he was doing. You sat down beside him, feeling the freezing cold water as it enveloped you and soaked your jeans. Dan was quiet the entire time, and you grew colder without a shirt on in the middle of the woods. You watched as he scrubbed in the dim moonlight, managing to get the blood stains out of the shirt. His eyes caught yours and you tried to look away, but he took your hand slowly and laced his fingers with yours.

"Is it just me, or are you getting bigger?" Dan asked with a small smile. You flush, not sure if that was an insult or not, but he obviously didn't mean it that way.

"Pregnancy doesn't start showing until twelve to thirteen weeks." You said, raising an eyebrow at him. He shrugged and smiled, poking your belly with his cold fingers. You giggled. "I'm just fat."

"You are _not._ Don't put yourself down, baby girl."

Suddenly, his head fell and rested gently on your shoulder. You had to blink multiple times in surprise, feeling his frizzy hair tickle your face. "Thank you." He whispered, almost unable to make out his voice above the bubbling of the creek. You smiled, petting his hair with your damp hands, and you nuzzled him close. Then, you sneakily cupped cold water down the back of his shirt and the two of you played in the creek as if nothing had just happened that night.


	21. Lie

“We have to tell them.” Dan said, pacing back and forth in the now-clean office. The sun hadn’t quite risen just yet, but it was about to soon, which meant the two of you needed an excuse as soon as possible. You sighed, folding your arms defensively.

“No, we don’t. Look, if we tell them that I murdered her, they’ll fear me.”

“Don’t be ridiculous!” Dan said, growing upset.

“I’m being realistic.” You replied, eyes narrowing, and your voice faltering. It hurt to argue with Dan, both mentally and physically.

“You amputated Suzy’s arm! There’s no way they’re going to fear you for killing some girl that we don’t care about.”

“I did that so she would survive. I was a hero for everyone.”

“That’s the thing! We can pretend you killed Serena in defense, that way they won’t think you’re some kind of monster!”

A dead silence fell when Dan rose his voice, and your chest tightened, aching more than you’ve ever felt. Dan’s eyes widen and his composure fell as soon as the words escaped his lips, he knew he took a wrong step.

“You… think…” You stammered, taking a step back.

“No. No, no, no, no. That is _not_ what I meant.” He quickly walked towards you, but you pushed him away from you, turning your back towards him, feeling tears sting your eyes. “You are not a monster.” He said genuinely, but you couldn’t see his begging expression, so you couldn’t believe him.

“I _am_ a monster, aren’t I?” You said quietly, looking down at your hands with pain. Dan snatched your hands, wrapping them up with his, and looking sadly down at you.

“Stop it now, Y/N. You know you’re not a monster.”

“I killed a human being!” You shouted back at him, your face contorted in pure anger.

“You were jealous, and I’m glad that you killed her! She was raping me, Y/N. You’re still a hero, no matter what.”

“I could’ve kept her alive. We wouldn’t be in this predicament right now, Dan.” You replied coldly, pulling your hands out of his and keeping them by your side. “Our group is in so much danger because of me. All because of me!”

“It’s not just you, Y/N! We all do risky things, don’t single yourself out here.”

“You’re not the one that’s pregnant, you’re not the one who killed a girl who might cause us to get killed, you’re not the one who has to live with all of this- this self-hatred!” You cried, and the world paused yet again. Dan’s face turned sorrowful, and you could see in your peripheral vision that tears were streaming down his face, which was probably the worst type of pain you could experience: watching your significant other just sob.

He tried to hide it, but it showed in his voice. He hiccuped here and there, having breathing spasms while he spoke. Each time his breath pitched, your heart broke a little more.

“You hate yourself? _You regret getting pregnant_?”

You couldn’t reply, and he cried harder. You finally looked at him, which you immediately regretted. “Danny-” You began, but he interrupted you.

“Clearly I haven’t been doing a good enough job trying to show you how important you really are.”

“You have, it’s just-” You tried to speak again, but he cut you off, getting angry out of nowhere.

“It’s just what? You regret getting pregnant, you don’t want the baby, you don’t want a life with me?!”

“Stop putting words in my mouth!” You blew up, frowning at him. He turned, his back facing you, and he cradled his face in his hands. You tugged lightly on his shirt, and he just pushed you off. You had to consider that he was going through so much right now. He had gotten raped, you killed a girl right in front of him, and you had just unintentionally told him things that made him feel like he wasn’t good enough. You sighed and wrapped your arms around his waist in a delicate hug, which he surprisingly didn’t bother to escape.

“I love you, Danny.”

“And I love you too, Y/N. You mean so much to me. I just wish you’d talk to me. Why didn’t you tell me that you hated yourself?”

“I just… didn’t want this to happen.”

“The longer you postpone it, the worse it’ll get. Just, please, speak to me, baby girl.”

He turned around in the hug, his face all red and eyes weepy. You brushed his tears off of his cheeks and you pulled his face down to match your height so you could press a kiss on his lips. He smothered you with his lanky arms, pulling you closer, and you felt more of his hot tears soak onto your face. You opened an eye, seeing them flow from his closed eyelids and you pulled away, frowning again.

“Hey, you, stop that.” You said. “You’re making me feel, like, really, _really_ bad.”

“I’m just emotional right now.”

“I know, it’s difficult.” You sighed in comfort, and you sat down on the plush carpet floor, allowing him to sit beside you before you began to confide in him. “I’ve always had some sort of self-confidence issues. It’s not you, or anyone else, it’s just… me and my mindset. I’m so messed up, I can’t handle it sometimes.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t want you to be really upset, like you just were. I didn’t want you to feel like you weren’t there for me when you’re always here. No matter what I do, you’re by my side.”

“It’s not just about being right next to you physically.” Dan said in a calm voice. “It’s this- where you tell me what’s wrong and I’m able to help you. That’s what I want to provide for you, and our baby.”

You nodded in understanding, and he pulled you into his chest, which smelled faintly like old Axe body spray. You deeply inhaled with a big smile, happy that the two of you weren’t fighting anymore. As he moved you onto his lap, his hands rested on your stomach, despite you not even having a baby bump. The two of you were quiet as he looked down and you heard his voice right against your ear, sending chills down your spine.

“Do you… really regret it?”

“Getting pregnant?” You asked him.

“Yeah.”

“No.” You said, leaning your head against his collarbone now. “I will never regret having a baby with you.”

“What do you think it’ll be?” He asked with a small smile now.

“Maybe a boy.” You grinned, looking down. Dan shrugged.

“I think it’s gonna be a girl.”

“Wanna bet on it?” You laughed, and he nodded intensely.

“I’ll bet you oral.” Dan said as he winked and you rolled your eyes.

“You got a deal.” You said immediately and he laughed, squeezing you tightly before a gentle knocking was heard from the office door. You looked up and got up off of him. Dan stood up, cautiously walking towards the door and slowly opening it, exposing Arin.

“Hey, are you two okay?” Arin asked with a concerned expression. Dan nodded and smiled warmly. “I just heard you guys yelling.”

“Just a little argument.” Dan said. “Things are solved now.”

“Hey, where’s Serena?” Arin asked, looking around the room. Dan moved quickly in front of him and kept his smile up.

“She’s asleep in the corner. You can’t see her, the wall’s blocking the way.” Dan lied, and Arin slowly retreated back to his bedroom with Suzy. When Dan shut the door, he sighed heavily, looking defeated and both solemn at the same time.

“We’ll go with your lie.” He finally said, breaking the silence.

\---

As the sun rose, the two of you hurriedly woke up everyone in the household until they were all gathered in the living room. You looked nervous, knowing that you were just about to lie to all of the people you trusted with your life. Everyone either looked exhausted, distraught, or bored, until Dan spoke up.

“Everyone, we have an issue. While on watch last night, Y/N and I fell asleep and Serena must’ve broke free and ran away.”

“What?” Everyone said in unison, and whispers broke out amongst the small group gathered in a circle.

“We should patrol the woods.” Arin said immediately.

“She’s probably long gone by now.” You said smoothly, breaking tension.

“I just saw her and the two of you earlier this morning. It was only a couple hours ago.” Arin frowned, but Dan butted into the conversation quickly to soothe it down.

“She’s not going to get far without getting attacked, and that’s on her. Not us.”

“He’s right, Arin.” Suzy said to her husband, placing a hand on his shoulder and calming him down. He cursed sotto voce, insanely quiet after being hushed down. Dan rubbed his temples, looking weary. You gently took his hand, holding it and lacing your fingers with his. He smiled down at you and looked at the group.

“What if something happens where the community does find her? They know we’re in Arkansas!” Ross said, clearly unhappy.

“We have a plan.” Dan said. “We’re going to install an escape route, just in case something happens to us. It’ll come along with the fence around our property, if we can just finish that before winter comes-”

“We’re not even a fourth way done and summer is ending.” Holly said worriedly.

“If we work hard, then we can all make a dent in it.” Dan said, smiling. “All of us have to work, even you, Suzy.”

“Aw, man.” Suzy said with a knowing smile.

“Brian, Ross, Holly, and Arin- you all go and gather more wood. Watch each other’s backs. Suzy, you watch over Audrey. Y/N, you come with me.” Dan said, and the group dispersed into their groups, going out and taking the day on. Dan took you to the side, looking down at you with serious eyes.

“We can’t tell them what happened.”

“I know, Danny.” You said, crossing your arms. “Thank you for lying…”

“Anything for my wife.” He suddenly said very sweetly, bringing you in for a kiss and placing it warmly against your lips. Heat spread through your body and you smiled into the kiss just as he pulled away, looking coy now. “I need you to help me out with the fence around the field, make sure it’s all still sturdy. You up for it?”

You nodded with delight, and the two of you took some tools on your way there, checking every corner of the fence, and ensuring the cows would be safe for yet another day.


	22. Before

A week later, when the moon was high in the night sky, you stared out of a window in your living room, wondering when things would ever be the same as they once were. When you were happy, able to breath and live without wondering if you would be doing just that the very next day. You looked over at Dan, who slept peacefully on a small mattress where the coffee table was once placed. He was so calm, so peaceful, in such a dire time. You just couldn't help but wonder what his dreams were like, and not to mention: his memories, too.

\---

It was midday, and outside the office, Dan could hear the lives of normal city people. But, it sounded more frantic than usual. He drew back the curtains from a window, glancing out to the streets, and seeing a long line of cars piled up. He backed up, looking to the people in the office.

It was sort of a lounge day, not many people were in except for his closest friends. Brian was at his desk, leaning back in his chair with his eyes shut. Arin and Suzy were sitting in beanbags, scrolling on their phones. Holly and Ross were recording something together. Matt was editing in his down time, Ryan was probably at home or something. It was just that small crew in the office, nobody else.

"You guys notice the line of cars?" Dan said meekly. Suzy perked up, nodding towards him.

"I heard that the police are being real assholes today-" Suzy began, but Arin rolled his eyes.

"It's probably the lunch rush," Arin said, "We live in L.A, remember? It's not uncommon to see a long line of cars."

"Holy shit," Suzy said, her eyes wide as she stared down at her phone. "You guys... need to see this."

Dan rose an eyebrow and briskly walked over, kneeling down over Suzy's shoulder. Matt also came over to investigate, but Brian was sound asleep. Suzy's phone played a video that was only ten seconds long, but it was the most gruesome ten seconds. It was a video that was taken by a person in a crowd, hence the pushing and movement of the video itself, and it was two police officers raising their guns at a person limping towards them. They shouted threats to the person, but they didn't seem to even notice. The person was bloody, bruised, and snapped their teeth at the police. The officer on the left let out a scream as he was taken down by another bruised person off screen, and the crowd let out violent screams. The policeman on the right shot the person multiple times, but they didn't even flinch. They just kept going.

"It's edited." Arin said, unconvinced.

"It's been all over the Internet, Arin." Suzy said with a frown. "These people are, like, invincible... I don't know, I have a bad feeling about this entire thing..."

Sirens sounded in the city, as usual, but they wouldn't die down, they grew louder, more intense. Gunshots rang in the air, and everyone looked pretty alarmed. Unless this was a whole big joke that L.A. was doing, they had every right to be afraid. Even Arin, with his strong-suited composure, looked like a wilted flower. Matt's phone buzzed and he carefully pulled it out, examining the text, and standing up with a worried look on his face. The crew looked at him curiously, and his face was something they'd never seen before: contorted into fear, concern, and just straight out panic.

"Ryan's texting me, they're blocking off the streets. Police keep telling him to stay inside his home. People are fleeing L.A."

"Why?!" Arin said defensively.

"He's typing..." Matt trailed off, and the entire office fell silent. Even Brian had woken up, listening in intently. Then, Matt's face fell, and he nearly dropped his phone on the floor.

"The dead are coming to life."

"That's ridiculous." Brian said with a frown.

"It's true! That's why people are trying to leave the city, and why those people getting shot won't fall down. They must be, like, immortal!"

"There has to be a way to kill them." Arin said, frowning. "Immortality is fake."

"Their heart doesn't work anymore, right?" Dan suggested, finally piping up. "Then, what about the head?"

The entire office went quiet again, God, it was so awful during those points. Matt grabbed his jacket, heading towards the door.

"Hey, woah, woah, where are you going?" Arin asked firmly.

"I'm going to my apartment. I don't want to leave Ryan alone. If you have to, _leave the city._ Don't stay for anyone."

Matt then quickly rushed out of the door and Suzy almost started to cry from all the pressure. Arin comforted her and Ross and Holly walked out of the recording station, looking just as concerned as the others. They began to explain to the others about the situation in L.A., but they were already aware. Arin caved in, deciding it was best if they all left the city together.

"We can't split up." Arin said. "We have to go."

"We're not leaving without Audrey and Rachel." Brian said with a fierce expression, the same deadly look that Ninja Brian would often wear. The others were hesitant, but they understood the situation, so they agreed. They took one car, piling into it, and Brian drove quickly to the pre-school that she was at. Most of the major roads were getting blocked off, and crowds of people roamed the streets, protesting the shootings against the dead.

Eventually, maybe twenty minutes after leaving, Brian pulled into the pre-school and quickly slammed the car door, sprinting up the steps and into the building. He was gone for a couple of minutes, but came back with Audrey placed safely in his arms. Inside the cramped car, there was a wave of relief, but then the tension stifled when someone came stumbling out from behind the building. A tall, lanky girl, who had blood all over her chest and face. It was gruesome, and Dan swallowed, hoping that it was at the very least fake blood.

Suzy rolled down the window after watching the misshapen woman stumble quickly towards Brian and his daughter, and she screamed out at him. "Watch out, someone's walking towards you, Brian!"

Brian's head nearly snapped off when he whirled around, and then turned his brisk pace into a full-on sprint. Audrey looked as confused as ever, crying, and he quickly opened the back door, handing his crying child to Suzy. She took her, wrapping her in her arms, having absolutely no room for a car seat. Brian got back behind the wheel and the woman smacked her entire body down on the hood of the car. Everyone in the car screamed, and Suzy shielded Audrey's head, allowing her to bury it in her chest.

"Holy fucking shit man, drive!" Dan said frantically. Brian used the stick shift and moved the car out of park to reverse, and revved the engine. The woman snapped her teeth angrily.

"Get off, I don't want to hurt you!" Brian shouted from inside the car. She didn't move. Brian quickly backed up, and she fell flat on the ground with a large cracking noise. He then moved it into drive, and sped away.  
He pulled his phone out, which was insanely dangerous, and dialed up his wife's phone number, putting the phone against his ear. It rang, and rang, and rang... no response. He looked at his phone sadly, and Dan placed his hand on his shoulder comfortingly, looking at him with wide eyes.

"We'll find her."

"Yeah..." Brian trailed off. "Let's check my house first, then we'll see if she's rehearsing in the studio."

The was a silent agreement, and nobody seemed really comfortable. It was a battle with life and death, a situation that nobody could really speak. It was like the air was too heavy, it was choking everyone.

"Brian?" Holly whispered quietly as he pulled into his driveway. He looked at her in the rearview mirror, and his cold eyes met hers. She could tell he was obviously on edge, but Holly's soothing voice made his tense body loosen. "Her car... is still here."

Brian looked at his wife's car that was pulled into the driveway. He quickly shut off the car, slamming the door and jogging inside the house. Everyone waited patiently for his arrival, and he came back empty-handed, looking confused. Then, everyone slowly got out of the car, approaching him slowly. He just looked lost, frightened, and concerned, all at once.

"She's not in there. Her keys are even on her desk. She was supposed to be working today."

"Maybe she came back here?" Ross suggested.

"Yeah, maybe she was scared off." Holly agreed with him, placing a comforting hand on Brian's shoulder. "We have two cars now, though. I think we need to split up and get everything that we need to evacuate the city."

The others agreed quietly, but Arin seemed distraught.

"Splitting up isn't a good idea, you guys."

"It's the only way we have _time_ , Arin." Suzy said to her husband. He had to silently agree, and then people split up with each other. They had an hour and a half to get back to the office.

And an hour and a half later, everyone showed up.

"Where's Matt and Ryan?" Holly asked Dan asked he was the last to walk into the grump space.

He shrugged to her, giving her a sad look, "I texted them, I don't think they're coming."

"We- we... can't leave without them..." Holly's voice began to shake, and Ross wrapped an arm around her.

"It's okay, sweetheart." Ross said very dearly to Holly. She buried her face in his jacket, whimpering, and he looked at Dan very seriously. Probably the most straight-edged face he had ever seen. "We should get going."

Brian, Audrey, Ross, Holly, Arin, Suzy, and Dan were all standing in the office. And they left together in a small vehicle. Things went badly at first, the streets were blocked off completely, police officers using brutality against actual living beings, and chaos wreaking havoc in every corner in L.A. It was Hell to try and get out, and eventually they drove out of the city. But, on the highway, they were blocked off, and their car was taken viciously by another group. Left to roam, they fled out into the forest, and kept running without looking back.

The group found it; their sanctuary. The warehouse was completely abandoned, and by the looks of it; rather hastily. They were only there for a couple hours before they set out to find survivors in the woods, by Holly's request. Of course, nobody wanted to accept any foreigners into their group, but they had no choice. They didn't have a reasonable amount of people to keep themselves safe, and they figured they'd claim the warehouse as their own home and start a small community there.

So, Holly, Arin, and Dan all went out. It was hours of looking around for food, water, shelter, anything. Despite the amount of people leaving L.A., there was absolutely nobody in the woods. They came across a man, small and timid, who was already insane. He swung around his dagger at the three of them, scratching Dan on the cheek, and getting into a scuffle on the leaves with Dan. Arin, out of instinct, shot the man in the chest and he fell limp. Arin broke down all the while Holly tended to Dan's cheek wound. They set out again, right before the sun was beginning to sink.

That's when they heard yelling, cries of help and desperation, come from another part of the woods. Dan led the way, carefully maneuvering around the trees and bushes and he peeked over the trunk of a large tree, spotting you, smashing in the head of a rotting dead person. Honestly, it was fucking terrifying. Dan was intimidated, and he didn't want another situation like earlier, so he approached you cautiously.

\---

And that's how this whole ball started rolling. How things fell into place so easily. You blinked back into reality, sucking in breath suddenly, and realized that you must've stared at Dan for an hour, just watching him sleep. It totally wasn't creepy, how obsessed you were with Dan. Of course, in such a dire and threatening situation, strong emotions were evoked within everyone. It wasn't just you who felt so emotionally connected to the others, but so did they. In this world, here and now, you knew that it would be considered normal for you to be like this.

At least, you hoped.


	23. Kinky

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **WARNING** : Consensual sexual content up ahead! Also mentions r*pe, has a bit of somnophilia, too.  
> Kinky Dan is best Dan.  
> Also, yes, he does enjoy sex where one partner is asleep. (Specifically he enjoys being "woken up by sex," but I took it a step further.)

Everything was fine, it was perfect. You were still in your first trimester, about to move onto your second. You were so excited for the day you'd have your child, you hardly thought about it being a burden anymore. It was more of an experience, where every day you woke up, you were exhilierated to find out what that day might bring you.

The fence was coming along nicely, since everyone put in so much work a day, it was getting done twice as fast. You even helped a lot, when you weren't feeling nauseous or dizzy for some reason. You supposed it was the after effects of going through morning sickness, and pushed it to the back of your mind with all of your dark memories.

You and Dan were alone in the house. Brian and Audrey were out on a small walk in the cow field where they were safe, and all the others were working on the fence. You were having a bit of a migraine, so you opted out of work, and the others seemed completely okay with that. You were glad to have such supporting friends, and especially family.

Dan slowly sat down beside you on the couch and he smiled, wrapping his arm around you.

"Hey there, baby girl."

"Hi." You said shyly, your hormones acting up yet again due to your pregnancy. Some days, you'd be entirely horny, or incredibly angry, or really weepy, or just shy. It was like you were on your period all day every day. He smiled, placing his hand on your stomach, running his fingers along it.

"You can see a little tiny bump." He mused.

"Really? I think I'm just getting fat from all the food I'm eating." You giggled. He rolled his eyes in response.

"Yeah, well, either is good enough for me. If it's that, then I'm happy."

"Happy I'm getting fat?" You made a fake pouty face towards him, and his face winced a little in pain. He hated seeing your sad face, no matter how adorable it was.

"Yeah, that means you're feeding our baby. I want our baby to come out completely fuckin' ripped."

"Oh- ahg- Dan! You're so weird!" You laughed, pushing him off of you. He rolled over to the side of the couch in defeat, looking extremely sexy as his half-lidded gaze ate you up. You flushed a dark color and hid your face, shrugging your shoulders up to cover your embarrassed expression.

"Baby girl," He huskily spoke, sending shivers up your spine. "you're looking at me funny."

"Y-Yeah? Well, maybe 'cause you have a stupid face." You retorted playfully, and he looked hurt by what you said. Uh-oh, did you go too far? Was teasing not apart of this relationship? You really fucked up, didn't you-

"My face is stupid?" This time, it was his turn to pretend pout. You realized he wasn't actually hurt and you felt relieved, giving him a big grin.

"Yeah! Stupid eyes, and nose... and mouth..."

"Aw, c'mon now, my mouth is stupid? Last time I remember, you were moaning my name with my mouth all up in you-" He began and you quickly covered his mouth, feeling his hot breath against your hands, which wasn't the only thing heated on your body.

"Danny!" You cried out loud, a dark red now. "Y-You can't just say those kinds of things, you idiot!" You suddenly felt his warm tongue against your fingers and you pulled your hands away, wiping them on your jeans before he took your wrists in his palms, pushing you down on the couch.

"Oh, really?" He whispered, eyes now trailing down your figure. "Do you want me to stop?"

You remembered you had to be truthful to him, because damn, if you didn't want this more than anything right now. You swallowed heavily, your eyes fluttering as you shook your head slowly. 

His hungry brown eyes then met yours and you felt your own womanhood tremble slightly, begging to just be touched. He pinned both of your hands with one of his above your head, while the other hand traced down your body, over the mounds of your breasts, over your stomach, and then to your thighs. He drew small circles there, teasing you through your jeans with the tip of his finger, and then he slowly closed the space, his fingers lingering over the wrinkles in your jeans. He pressed against your heat and you sunk into the couch, a suppressed breath escaping your lips.

"Baby girl, can you do something for me?" He asked in a low tone. You nodded eagerly. Anything that Dan asked of you at this very moment, you'd be so willing to do. "I know this is probably really fucking weird, but, I have this... kink."

"You're opening up about your kinks to me?" You said with a grin. "This should be good. Shoot."

"Well- God, it's so embarrassing-" he laughed nervously. "-I kind of want you to act like you're... asleep?"

You blinked. That's not what you were thinking of. After giving him a stupid look, he went a deep shade of red and shook his head, his curls bouncing slightly side to side.

"Nevermind," he quickly said, "it was a stupid request-"

"No, I'll do it." You replied before he could continue. "I was just caught off guard. Just... tell me what to do."

"A-Are you sure you're okay with this?" He stammered, eyes wide.

"Yeah, don't worry. I'm surprised you even want to do this, you know..."

The two of you have had bad experiences where both of you were helpless in a nonconsensual situation. You definitely had no more thoughts about your rapist, but you weren't sure if he did about Serena. You supposed that maybe doing this would help him out a bit. Dan sat up and allowed you to prop your head up with a pillow.

"So, just... be limp, quiet, eyes closed, and try not to move too much. If you have to moan, go ahead, but be quiet and try to hold them back. That's what makes them super cute." Dan instructed you, and you nodded, feeling butterflies in your stomach about this new experience. "If, at any point, you're not okay with what I'm doing, please tell me, okay, baby girl?"

You agreed with a smile, and slowly closed your eyes. It was sort of exciting, to not exactly know where his hands would be next. You felt his fingertips brush up against the hem of your shirt, and your body bloomed in heat where the slightest movement erupted. He slowly pulled up your shirt, exposing your bra, and his hands gently wrapped around the cup of your bra. He gave a light squeeze and you inhaled sharply, shifting your head to the side as if you were really asleep, and then exhaled slowly out your nose.

"Fuck, you're so beautiful." You heard him whisper. "You look so peaceful like that, so innocent, too. I'm afraid all I can do is eat you out, but I don't mind."

You felt his hand brush some of your hair out of your face and you stiffened slightly, his lips pressing against yours. You were uncertain at this point if you should lock lips with him, but he was dominating you so well, that you didn't really have to act. Then, he tugged on your jeans, unzipping them and quickly pulling them halfway down your legs before propping them on his shoulders as he leaned in close, pressing his tongue against your cotton panties.

_Fuuuuck._ You thought, trying to hold in your obnoxiously loud moans as he pulled the panties to the side with his index finger, playing with your clit first. You whimpered slightly, and his rough hands groped the sides of your thighs. You couldn't help but pant, feeling sweat roll down your legs. Suddenly, his soaking wet tongue pushed inside you, then ran along your folds, repeating this process over and over. You gripped the couch around you, trying to loosen your body. He even began to hum, vibrations rocketing throughout your pussy and making you incredibly wet.

He fucked you harder and faster, his tongue playing with every part of you. Your back began to arch, and you felt an orgasm growing closer and closer by each second. Suddenly, you were washed over by a warm feeling, and you let out a loud cry, suddenly falling limp after the orgasm. Dan pulled away from your pussy, licking his lips, and you looked at him with narrowed eyes.

"Did you have a good time?" He asked, smiling greedily.

"Yes..." you shakily responded, trying to calm down your nerves.

"Man, you acting like you were asleep got me so fucking horny, not gonna lie." He sighed, sitting back. You sat up, pulling your panties up, kicking away your jeans.

"My turn?" You winked at him, and he rose his eyebrows in interest. You carefully unbuttoned his jeans and unzipped, fully exposing his erection as quickly as you possibly could. His member twitched and you knew he was probably backed up, but you felt so playful, that you could hardly think straight.

"Show me how you jerk off." You grinned, sitting back and spreading your legs. His eyes widened and stared at your face, then dropped down to your panties.

"Huh?"

"I'll let you cum all over my panties." You said in a sing-song voice. He didn't even have to think about it twice, wrapping his left hand around his cock and stroking it sensually. You watched with a smile, stripping your t-shirt off of your body, along with your bra. You ran your fingers across your boobs, your nipples growing hard in the cool air.

"You're evil, you know that?" Dan said, his voice strained.

"Am I?" You asked, using your fingers to push your panties to the side. You played with your entrance, slowly pumping one digit inside and out of your pussy. You were slow and kept calm, but you could tell it was really turning him on. He pumped faster, huddled over his erection, his breath quick and falling flat.

"I-I'm going to cum, Y/N."

"You're cumming?" You asked, pulling out your finger. You crawled over to him, straddling his lap, and rubbing your hot pink cotton panties against his erection. His hand fell back to the couch beside him, and he threw back his head, moaning loudly. One of your hands played with the tip of his dick, and suddenly, his voice hitched in his throat as he prepared to cum.

"Fuck, yes!" He shouted, his white sticky cum shooting on your panties as well as your abdomen. He panted, his head falling back onto your shoulder, and you grinned, pulling his face up to look at you before you kissed him sweetly.

"I love it when you take control." Dan said breathily after breaking away from your lips.

"Me too." You giggled, taking a tissue and cleaning up the mess the two of you made, making haste. Luckily, you two were fully clothed again when Brian and Audrey walked in. If you two hadn't hurried up, they could've walked in on something _really bad._ But, it was just a little secret between the two of you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a sinful chapter for myself (and you lil shits)


	24. Scare

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Sensitive content, blood warning too. Stay safe you guys <3

You were six months along in your pregnancy, now. Things were going so smoothly for you and the rest of your crew. Summer had passed, and so did fall, leaving it to winter now. You made a lot of progress in the last six months, since it was December, and there was thick flurries of snow falling down outside. You couldn't finish the entire fence around your property, since it required a lot of time and wood, but you were around three quarters done entirely.

Living up in the mountains ensured that there weren't any hordes of biters, since nobody really lived nearby. Occasionally, there was one, but it wasn't anything too hard to handle. And, besides, in the winter, it was a lot easier to hear and spot biters, with the white snow, crunchy leaves, and the empty forests.

And, it was hard to survive. Most of the animals were hibernating, and that means you had to rely solely on canned food that you scavenged for. The good news is that your group managed to find solar panels and install them safely on the roof, so you had actual electricity running again. Which meant you were all comfortably warm in the winter, with the new heating system. Also, lights worked, but you hardly used them anyway, allowing all of the power to go into the heat. It was long and tedious, but since the guys worked really hard on installing the panels, their work payed off just in time for winter.

There was no word from the community. You had no idea if they were going to come for revenge, or if something had happened to them early on. Still, you felt a little safer, since they hadn't reached you before winter. You could rest easy during this time, knowing the entire world was frozen and asleep outside. Nobody would be trying to rob you, kill you, and biters were also seen actually frozen, unable to move, out in the open air. It was nature's lucky break for all of the remaining survivors.

You were talking a stroll outside, with Holly by your side. She most often accompanied you, since Suzy was as reliable with just one arm. Of course, you argued with Dan earlier about going outside, he insisted you stay inside to keep warm, but the cool and fresh air was too tempting. You stormed out, and Holly followed you.

"Y/N," Holly softly said, "We've gone quite a ways down the road. Want to turn back?"

"Yeah, I suppose." You sighed, wishing you could go farther. At least the cows were safe, you thought to yourself. The others had made sure their little barn was empty and safely locked up during the winter, and someone usually went over there daily to feed them. It was getting difficult to keep up with them, but they tended to themselves most of the time. And, when spring rolled around, you could finally start mating them and then having a steady supply of meat for years to come.

You turned on your heels, and Holly kept you close by her side. She also had her weapon out, her hands stiff from being so cold. Her eyes kept darting around the place, looking for anything that seems out of place. You began to feel sick, like you were going to vomit, but you pushed it off as nothing serious.

All of a sudden, you felt a twisting feeling in your gut. You coughed in shock, frowning and clutching your small round belly. It felt like a cramp, but a million times worse. You dropped to your knees, gasping for air, and trying to comprehend the pain you were feeling. It was so immense, so extreme, tears were rolling down your cheeks in streams.

"Y/N?" Holly asked in surprise, watching as you fell over on your side. You let out a shrill scream of agony, and she panicked, kneeling down and lifting you up. You were a lot heavier than her by now, but it didn't matter. She pulled you up to your feet, which kept tripping over themselves as she rushed you back to your house.

"Come on, hang in there." Holly whispered frantically to you. You clutched onto her, panting, and your voice cracking each time you tried to regulate your breath. Finally, it took only a couple minutes, but she managed to get you to the door, opening it quickly and nearly kicking it in as she stumbled inside with you. A wave of heat washed over the two of you, and people that were sitting around looked up with alarm.

"She's in pain!" Holly said sharply to them, and they scrambled upwards, already knowing what to do. Ross grabbed a blanket, Suzy took as many pillows as she could, and Arin ran over to help you with Holly. You doubled over, sobbing and screaming, feeling a hot liquid trickle out between your legs. Eventually, everyone came running into the living room with exasperated expressions written all over their faces. They simply laid you down on the floor, placing the pillows behind your back and the blanket to the side.

"What happened?" Arin asked Holly, but she couldn't answer in time. Dan raced into the living room, took one look at you, and his face changed into the most dreadful thing you had ever seen. He ran over to you, falling to his knees, and took your hand. He saw blood seep through your pants, and he just looked mortified.

"Y/N, oh my God, no!" Dan screamed, clutching onto your hand as tightly as ever. Brian hid Audrey's eyes and asked Suzy if she could keep an eye on her in the other room, to which Suzy agreed. Brian, Ross, Holly, Arin, and Dan were all now huddled around you.

"S-She was just walking... and she... she fell down." Holly cried, wiping her face. "She was screaming in pain."

"She didn't get attacked?" Arin asked her, and she violently shook her head.

"The baby." Brian said softly, and Dan began to shake vehemently, kissing your hand and choking on his sobs.

"Y/N, we need to check your baby." Brian said to you, but you could hardly hear him from all the commotion. The cramping just got worse, and it felt like you were going to burst apart, the wringing feeling causing you to retch, tears blurring your vision. All you could see was Dan, and how sad he was. He kept talking to you so sweetly, but you couldn't hear his words, the blood pounding in your ears so heavily. Brian tugged your jeans and underwear off, exposing a puddle of blood. He cursed under his breath.

"Has this ever happened to you?" Arin asked Brian.

"No, Rachel didn't have any trouble when she was pregnant. This might be..."

"No." Dan cut him off, looking at him. "Do something! I'm not letting our baby die."

"It's probably already over-" Brian said and Dan screamed, shutting him up. Dan just caressed your face, his hair lightly tickling your jaw. He shuddered, his face not visible to the others. To you, it was all you could see. It was the worst kind of pain you had ever seen anyone experience.

"Ross, get a towel." Brian said to him. Ross leapt up, running into the bathroom.

"Arin, get the pregnancy book that we found. It's on the shelf in the office." Brian demanded, and Arin nodded, rushing into the other room. When both of the guys came back with the things, Brian flipped through the book in a rush. Holly held onto your other hand, not caring if your nails were digging sharply into her palm. Arin cleaned up the blood, and you kept tossing your head back and forth, your eyes tightly shut.  
"Was there any big clumps in the blood?" Brian asked Arin, and he shook his head. "Check her stomach."

Arin carefully lifted your shirt, exposing your still protruding belly. Brian glanced back down at the book.

"It wasn't a miscarriage. The baby is safe."

"Are you sure?" Dan said, looking up at his friend. Brian nodded.

"It's too late in the pregnancy, and her stomach is still big. The book doesn't have any details, but the closest thing I can find in here is probably subchorionic hematoma."

"What the hell is that?" Arin asked with a frown.

"Basically a blood clot outside of the womb, it doesn't harm the baby. This must've been a big one, I'm not sure. Cramps come normally in a pregnancy, but she's experiencing a lot of pain, but that might be the womb expanding, or round ligament pain."

You panted, and the sharp jabbing pain faltered, and your grip on Holly and Dan's hands released. Dan's gaze softened towards you, and he caressed your face, holding your forehead against his as he sighed.

"Dan," you murmured, and he leaned back, looking at you sweetly.

"You'll be okay, baby girl. Breathe, okay?"

You nodded quickly, regulating your breath and letting it in and out when you had to. Your heart stopped racing, and you felt a lot more calm after that. You felt a sense of relief from the people sitting around you.

"Y/N, you should rest on a bed." Brian commented, his eyes trained on your face. "If you move too much, you may get more pain."

"Okay." You replied, exhaling loudly.

"You can use mine and Suzy's bed, we'll switch with you from here on out." Arin offered, and Dan looked at him with a small smile.

"Thanks, man." Dan quietly said. Arin and Brian stood up awkwardly, since they had a full view of your lower half.

"Do you need help getting her to the bedroom?" Brian asked Dan, and he shook his head.

"Thank you guys, so much. You too, Holly." Dan said in a pained voice. Holly just smiled and nodded.

"Let me help you out." Holly suggested, taking off your shoes and socks, then pulling your pants and underwear completely off your legs instead of leaving them half-way down. Dan then wrapped the blanket around your waist, lifting you up in his arms bridal style. "I'll wash these." She said about your bloody clothes, and Dan nodded. He then took you into your old bedroom, laying you down on the bed, and retrieving a fresh towel to put under your lower half.

"I'm so happy you're okay." Dan said, laying down right next to you, nuzzling you. You smiled tiredly at him.

"I thought I was going to lose you... and your face... you were in so much pain." Dan said, choking up on his own tears again. You lifted your hand, wiping his face.

"I'm okay... we're okay." You spoke gently, your voice coming out all small and weak. Dan kissed you repeatedly on your face, and you finally fell asleep, too tired to stay awake for any longer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so like, I don't know how pregnancy, miscarriages, or false miscarriages work. I had to research so much about it lol, so I hope it at least makes some kind of sense to you guys (especially to the ones who have been through that kind of stuff.) I tried to capture the intense emotions, but I'm not fully convinced that I did.
> 
> Also, not sure how far I want to take this fanfiction, since it's been going on for soooo long, but I'm certain that it'll end soon after this chapter.


	25. Opal

Three months, that's all. It was now March, according to your phone (that you occasionally charged with the panels just to keep up with calendar dates) and quite coincidentally, it was the thirteenth, the day before Dan's birthday. You were about to burst, sad that you hardly could move around, and specifically, do something special for Dan.

Well, it was five in the afternoon, and you were bedridden, sleeping and trying to get as much rest as you could. Your baby was supposed to be due earlier, and it was beginning to concern you and Dan both. Your eyes slowly opened, feeling like they had been glued shut for a million years. You groaned, your entire body slowly waking up along with you. Again today, Dan wasn't beside you, and you were left alone in the room.

You saw your inflated stomach and how it pulled the blankets upward, and you knew the hardest part was trying to get out of bed with this entire thing. You stretched your arms and legs and felt mildly uncomfortable. You frowned, trying to make sense of why you felt this way, and you realized as you moved slightly to the side that the blankets were wet.

Oh, great. You first thought it was pee, since it was the most common explanation, but then you wondered if it was blood or not. You took the blankets and whipped them off of your body, and you couldn't see shit at first over your stomach, but when you propped yourself up on your elbows, you saw that it wasn't blood. And, it didn't smell.

"Fuck, oh my God." You cursed under your breath. Your water had broke.

"Dan!" You yelled from the room, feeling like you were unable to move at all, and if you did, the baby might just pop right out.

It took a couple moments, you weren't certain that anyone had heard you. You were about to call out their name again, but the door slammed open, and Dan sprinted towards you, enveloping you with his arms.

"Are you okay, Y/N?"

"M-My water broke. The baby's coming-" you said, being interrupted by a sudden pain. It felt like strong menstural cramps, the ones that made you actually have to lie down and cry. Dan's eyes widened and his hand gently rubbed against your stomach.

"Okay, okay, oh my God." Dan panicked. "Everyone!" He yelled towards the open door, and eventually the entire crew came rushing in. "Y/N's in labor. We have to deliver right now. Brian, please, help."

"Yeah, no worries. I was there for Rachel. Okay, Y/N, listen." You looked up to him with a pained expression. "You're going to have to regulate your breath, and try not to hold it. It might take awhile, so you should just relax until the contractions get longer, more painful, and there's less time in between them."

"How will I know when it's time?" You asked, finally leaning back and being able to breathe, the contraction slowly stopping.

"Oh, you'll know." Brian said.

You frowned. You didn't know that the baby actually had to take time to come out. Just make it end already! You sighed and stared up at the ceiling, not sure how long Brian meant. You supposed you would just have to sit back and relax, but Brian suggested you get dressed into a dress or at least wear just a bra under your blankets so that you'd be open to any surprises. Dan didn't seem to complain.

An hour passed, and most people were just outside waiting now. They had eaten their dinners, but when you sent Dan to get you the food, he came back with some blueberries in a bowl.

"What is this?" You asked him with a growing frown.

"It's your dinner."

"No," you remarked, glancing back up at him defiantly. You watched as he shrugged towards you, giving you a nervous smile. "This is definitely not."

"It's what Brian said I could give to you. Since you're pregnant, you have to eat easily digestible foods." Dan said softly, sitting on the bed next to you and handing you the bowl.

"Uhg, are you serious? Fine." You grumbled under your breath as you snatched the berries from him and ate them hastily. They were all sweet and squishy, which reminded you that spring was bustling outside and you had to be in this stuffy house. Looking over, you saw Taffy fast asleep on the corner of the bed, and you smiled at her comforting and quiet purr.

"Aren't you excited?" Dan asked you, drawing your attention back to him. You shrugged, examining a berry.

"You're not the one doing all the work." You said icily. Dan looked a bit upset, but he knew you were in a lot of pain and he wouldn't try to argue with that. His hand gently caressed your face, kissing your lips softly. Although you acted angry with him, you just melted in the kiss and sighed dreamily when he pulled away.

"I know, but I'll be right by your side the entire time." Dan assured you with a grin. "Brian says he remembers what to do, and besides he has that pregnancy book."

"Of course." You smile. "I am excited, Dan. But, I bet you're only excited because you want to know the gender, so if it's a girl then you'll get a free pass for a blowjob." You laughed teasingly. He flushed a darker color and rolled his eyes.

"No, I'm excited because it's the birth of our child. Do you think they're going to be born today or tomorrow?"

"I don't know," you mused, "But once they decide to come, I can't just hold them back."

"No, I know!" He laughed, hugging you close. You smelled his hair, and how fresh it was. You grinned goofily to yourself mostly, but you wrapped your arms around him and just lived for every moment with him.

Once upon a time, you were sad and broken. Lost and unsure of what to do or where to go. And then he came along, just shining a light on you and making you feel like the only person in the entire world, even if he was talking to others. Any little piece of attention, you craved so desperately, like a pack of wolves raving over meat. It was insane, you were so infatuated and in love with him, that you wouldn't mind what he did, you'd still feel the same. And once upon a time, you felt truly happy. Happy to have him be there for you, to just be alive with you. You were thankful, and just so...

...at peace.

Hours passed, and you would've slept if it weren't for the fucking contractions. You noticed there were doing what Brian said, getting longer, more painful, and the time in between them was shortening ever so slightly. But, you were getting concerned, things were at an ultimate burst of pain and it was only eleven at night. Audrey and Suzy were sleeping on the other side of the house, to avoid listening to screaming that would soon prevail.

Brian, Dan, Holly, and Arin were all crowded around you to help with the process. You began to grow fearful, what if you didn't make it? What if something happened, what if you died in your sleep, turned, and killed everyone? You were starting to shake badly from the fear. But, Dan took your hand, reassuring you were going to be okay.

"Fu-uhck!" You yelped, clenching Dan's hand. Arin had your other hand, and your nails were digging into it.

"Okay, Y/N, it's time. What I want you to do is breathe in through your nose, and out your mouth. Regulate that pattern, and begin to push. Holly and I will help deliver, okay?"

"Okay." You said quickly before you sharply inhaled and shakily let it out. The pain was immense and you couldn't help but whine in the back of your throat. Dan's eyes were solidly trained on you, never faltering as your knuckles turned white from the pressure.

"You're okay." Dan said to you. "I know you can do it."

Your eyes darted over to him and you wanted to hug him and give him a big ol' smile, but the pain cut you off and you nearly doubled over, screaming in agony.

"Brian, do something!" Dan barked at him.

"It's up to Y/N! Keep pushing." Brian replied, as him and Holly watched carefully under the blankets. You pushed, really, but you felt like you were just going to tear open.

"Fuck!" You shrieked, tears running down your face. Arin seemed silent, but his face was written with concern. Dan was crying, too, and definitely looked adorable while doing it. Holly and Brian were staring, waiting, and guiding.

And that lasted a long time. You lost track of everything: the time, your surroundings, the people around you. All that mattered was getting this damn baby out.

An unbeatable pain racked all over your body, and you almost blacked out, your world spinning. You let out a bloodcurdling wail, knowing that any biter for miles could hear you crying out. It was happening, this very instant. You wanted to kick and scream and welter with all of your might, but you stayed still the entire time. You heard the others speak frantically around you, but your world was dark, and you could hardly even make out the words they said.

You were brought back to your surroundings suddenly when the pain subsided, and it felt like everything went back into place. You heard screaming that wasn't yours, and the excited voices of adults. You looked around, panting, and saw the happy faces of the others. The crying grew louder, and you realized it was your baby.

Holly's voice rang out with pure joy above the crying. "It's a girl!"

"Y/N, oh my God." Dan said in an exasperated tone, clenching your hand and kissing it gently. A weak smile formed on your lips and you saw your baby, who looked like an angry old person. She screamed and cried, flailing her limbs. Her cord had already been cut, and you were on the verge of passing out right before Brian walked up to you with her in his arms. He leaned down, holding your baby out to you. Carefully taking her, you saw her small wrinkled face, and she was wrapped in a thin blanket. So tiny, innocent, and dependent.

"Hi..." you said softly. "You're so cute."

She just frowned even more, her cries softening. Dan looked like an expectant puppy, his hair wild and frizzy, and his eyes sparkling at you like he was a dog begging for food.

"Look." you shrugged to him and he excitedly got up to lean over your shoulder. He looked down at his daughter and he broke down into sobs. It was heart-wrenching, but he just looked so happy when he wiped his face with his sleeve.

"You should rest for a bit, but let me show you how to breastfeed." Brian said to you, and you nodded with fatigue. Dan eyed him carefully as Arin and Holly went out to tell everyone the big news, and Brian leaned over you, sort of just expecting you to whip your titty out. So, you unhooked your bra, blushing in embarrassment as you slid it off of your chest.

He showed you how to breastfeed, and how to tell when your baby latched. Brian kept guiding you, his hands tenderly guiding you and showing you what to do. He spoke occasionally, but in a soft voice so he wouldn't upset the baby. When she latched, you watched her in astonishment and your eyes blew up wide. She was so cute, and she kept staring straight up at you, into your eyes. You felt your heart ache, and a deep emotional bond formed so quickly.

"S-She's doing it." You said lowly, still having a staring contest with her.

"That's good."

"When do I know she's done?" You asked Brian, glancing up at him very temporarily.

"She'll fall asleep, or just let go. Don't worry, and get some rest. The others will come in later when you're rested and she's fed." Brian replied, getting up off the chair and then placing it back where it was in the room, then slowly leaving just the three of you: you, Dan, and your precious little girl.

You leaned your head back on your pillow, letting out a deep sigh. You were incredibly sore, and your eyes felt puffy from all the tears, but you glanced over at Dan.

"Hey," you addressed softly. For once, he was already staring at you with a dream-like smile on his face. "what time is it?"

He blinked and checked your phone that was on the bedside table, and his smile grew even wider. "It's 12:03."

"Happy birthday. She was probably born around eleven something," you whispered, "but let's just say that she was born now."

"She's the best birthday gift I have ever gotten." Dan said with excitement, caressing her tiny body. You were slowly being lulled to sleep, unable to keep your eyes open. Dan's hand then placed against your cheek and it was incredibly hot, which made your eyes fly open to watch his expression soften.

"We still need to name her." He said. "I can't believe we didn't pick out names."

"We were..." you yawned, "...busy."

"Yeah..." Dan agreed.

"How about Opal? It is your favorite gemstone, after all." You were starting to nod off, and he looked ecstatic.

"Opal! That's perfect. Opal Avidan." He said gently, in a wonderful little cooing voice. This time, you had completely been taken over by sleep, and you shut your eyes heavily before drifting off, holding Opal close to your chest, and never threatening to let her go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> trying to wrap this up *yawns*


	26. Are You... Okay?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Sexual content and descriptions of gore up ahead.
> 
> Last chapter.  
> I suggest listening to some emotional music.

"Girls!" You shouted towards the cow field, your hand placed on your hip as you felt impatience crawl up your leg. No, wait, that was a bug. You flicked it off and glanced back up, hearing childish laughter coming off from up ahead. Two girls began to run towards you, panting wildly as they both enveloped you in a hug.

"Aunt Y/N!" Cheered the short-haired one. You smiled and patted her on the back as the younger girl wrapped her arms tightly around your waist.

"Audrey, Opal, did you two have fun?" You asked, and they both nodded up to you. "Good," you smiled in return.

It was seven years later. I know, big skip, right? But, nothing had happened except that you finished building your fence, and you even gathered a small community up. The government was beginning to get in contact with the civilians, and biters were less common to see now.

Also, Matt and Ryan had found you. Like, actually found you guys. Rachel was with them, and Brian wouldn't let go of her for a month. Dan had went on a journey when Opal was only four, and came back with his sister, her husband, and his nephews. Your little group had also taken in strangers, and all was going so smoothly.

"Okay, come on, it's lunch."

"Hooray!" Opal squealed, running on back to the house. Audrey followed by your side, showing more maturity than your daughter. When you three walked into the house, you were greeted by familiar faces.

"Hey!" Dan said from the couch as Opal tackled him. He lost his breath as her weight was flung against him.

"Opal, don't jump on your father." You scolded gently, and she just hugged him tightly. You knew she liked him better than you, but who didn't? He had small silver strands of hair bonded in his curls, and he was clean shaven, which was your request.

Dana walked by with Nash and Carter, rolling her eyes. "You get used to it." She said in a soothing tone, and Dan laughed.

"I don't mind! Even when Opal is in her 30's, she can jump on me all she wants." Dan replied, hugging his daughter tightly. She let out a bunch of giggles, wrapping her arms around his neck and burying her face in his chest. You felt your heart ache at the cute sight.

"Aunt Y/N," Nash said, tugging on your sleeve. You looked down at him with a warm smile and kneeled to his height to listen to him. "tomorrow, can we play with Opal?"

"Of course." You nodded. "Stay in the cow field, though, okay? And remember, Opal's only seven, and you're fourteen. You have to take care of her."

"Right!" Nash said with excitement. 

He ran off next to his mom and dad. You were so amused, just so happy. This was such a perfect and tranquil moment of your life, you don't know how it could get any better. Well, yeah, you did.

Your house had been expanded over the past seven years that everyone actually had a room. Well, all the couples did, some others stayed awake, or slept in the living room, but it was still a growing community.

Laying in bed at night, you felt Dan's arms wrapped comfortably around your waist. Although your eyes were shut, you couldn't seem to fall asleep. You heard Dan mumble something to you, and you turned over, glancing at him. His dark eyes glittered in the dim room and he just had a smile on his face, "Can't sleep?" He asked.

"No." You sat up. But, he rested his hand on your shoulder and pushed you to lie back down. He pulled you close to his chest, and you could feel his heart beat against your back. Then, you felt his fingers sneak into your shorts and under your panties, and you flinched in surprise as his middle finger rubbed your clit.

"Danny." You moaned, gripping his arm. His finger then teased your entrance, pushing in and causing you to shake slightly.

"You okay?" Dan asked quietly, and you shrugged, panting.

"It's been awhile..." you whispered. "Just took me by surprise."

"Yeah." He replied, kissing your neck. "If you don't want to, that's fine."

"No, please... fuck me." You begged, and he did what you asked him to. After so much foreplay, he finally gave you what you wanted, and he came inside by accident. You were a bit upset, but you thought about having another child, and you kept smiling to yourself. Maybe it would be a good thing. Suzy was pregnant also at the moment, so... maybe...

You fell fast asleep. Waking up in the morning from Dan gently shaking you, he helped you get ready, then the two of you walked Opal to the cow field, where Nash and Carter waited patiently. The three kids ran off farther into the field and their laughter slowly faltered as they left. You looked to Dan, who appeared distraught.

"What's the matter?" You asked gently, taking his hand.

"I just... I'm sorry about last night, Y/N. I didn't have time to pull out-"

"Danny, it's okay." You reassured him, taking his face and kissing him sweetly. He nuzzled you, and you laughed. "I was thinking about having another child with you, anyways. I just haven't had the time to find it, you know?"

"Yeah. I understand." He spoke gently, and you swore you had never seen his eyes look at you like this. They were brown, of course, but his pupils were so contracted that all you could see were the green and gold foil-like flecks that sparkled in his eyes every time the sun's rays lit up his entire face. You felt like time was slowed down, and maybe all of this was just a dream or something, but Dan almost looked feigned, like a doll. Every small wrinkle or line on his face was beloved by you, had been touched by you, had been claimed by you. And you knew that the way he looked at you was a new emotion, something blossoming from deep inside. It was an intimate moment beyond anything sexual or romantic, it was just... the way he looked at you. It was as if he knew of every little thought that occurred in your pretty mind. And with those eyes, you saw someone that desired you, someone who was willing to find you and pull you from the darkness.

He was truly yours, and this moment couldn't be shared with anyone. Even if you wrote it down, you could not express the way he looked at you, for the feeling was so overwhelming that you could break down at the sight of it.

It was crazy to think how much and how little he actually knew of you. But, you brought yourself back to reality before time could eventually stop, and you felt your chest tighten. Why did you hurt so much, when you were perfectly happy? You couldn't comprehend the emotion, it was all of them at once. Most of all, you felt an underlying fear, that gnawed away at your mind.

Dan's hand brushed against your cheek, and you couldn't stop staring into his eyes. You found yourself lost mentally, and physically with your words.

"Are you okay?" He asked, and your heart pumped with the rhythm of his beautiful voice. You couldn't bring yourself to answer, all you could do was... stare.

You heart a bloodcurdling scream and your eyes widened. You looked in the direction the kids ran off to, and you whispered, "Opal," to yourself before you pushed your toes off the ground and sprinted towards the source. Something was wrong, so wrong. Your gut wrenched, and maybe if you hadn't been so obsessed with Dan, you would've paid attention to your surroundings. Why was your daughter screaming?

Dan followed behind, but it was as if it was just you running on an endless plain. You couldn't find yourself, lost in this sinking abyss of dread. That's when you saw it. Carter was pinned to the ground by a biter, and another biter lumbered quickly towards your daughter and Nash, who held her behind him and continually backed up.

"HEY!" You screamed, your voice aching the split moment it sounded out. The biter following your daughter looked at you with interest and then began walking towards you. Dan kept running, and tackled the other walker that was on Carter. Despite being well enough older than 16, he was sobbing like a child. You or Dan didn't have your weapons, but you knew you could take them on. You always had been able to, right? There was no worry at all.

You gripped your hand into a fist and kicked the biter backwards until it fell on the grass, and you had no hesitation to smash it's head in with your boot. It fell limp, and you finally looked over to watch your husband struggle on the field with the biter pinning him down. Come on, Dan. You rooted for him, but you were frozen in place. Time was going slow again, the kids were still with fear, all watching Dan wrestle the biter like it was just some sort of game. You couldn't move, _why couldn't you move?_

You weren't sure what happened. It was too fast, surely. How had it happened? Your happy end... had just come to a stop. Dan let out a chilling wail, something so guttural and genuinely full of pain, that your world fell dark. You didn't care anymore, not even a sliver. You managed to uproot your boots from the earth, and push the biter off your husband. You fought it with your upper body strength, pushing it away. The kids were crying, at least you think. You heard shrieks that made you think the world was falling apart before your eyes.

You pushed it to the ground, straddling it's chest. You pinned its arms with your knees and kept punching it over and over, feeling hot tears wet your cheeks. It took you a solid minute of your break down to finish, but your hands were covered with rotting blood, and you reeked of death. You had completely pummeled the biter's head to cave inwards, and it stopped moving, but you didn't even think of the kids at this point, you ran over to Dan, who was lying in the tall grass, still as can be.

You fell to your knees by his side, hovering over him. To him, you looked as radiant as a goddess, blocking the sun and allowing the rays to illuminate the back of your hair. As you caressed his face, your eyes trailed down his body looking for wounds, and found his hand, soaked in blood.

On his neck.

Dan coughed, the whole egregious gore of his interior throat exposed to the world. You felt lost, confused. How had this happened, when you felt like your world was perfect just five minutes ago. Dan couldn't speak, he was unable to. It was heartbreaking to not be able to listen to his gentle voice...

...one...

...last...

...time.

You choked on your sobs, this was it, wasn't it? You couldn't handle the immense pain right now, you had to leave him like this until he died. You pressed a kiss to his lips, and you heard a soft voice behind yourself.

"Daddy?"

You didn't even glance up, but Opal came around the side of her father and took his hand. He looked at her with such love, and he knew that her smile was worth dying for. Yet, all she showed was betrayal, and a lifetime of nothing but sadness. His nephews gathered around too, crying, but it wasn't their right to cry. They didn't love him like you had, they didn't spend their entire lives with him, every day, every moment. He was yours and only yours, and you had lost him.

"Shh," you choked, your tears falling on his face. He visibly struggled, trying to communicate to you, but he couldn't. You knew he wouldn't. The last thing you'd ever hear from his lips were the words 'are you okay?' And you knew the answer.

You were never okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, I am so sorry. LOL. Don't cry you guys! I had to wrap it up, and I've been planning on killing Dan off for quite some time.  
> I'm happy that it's over, and even though it's not a happy end, it's closure.  
> Please, feel free to leave speculations, conspiracies, feelings, critique, and tissues down below in the comments! Very much appreciated!
> 
> If I manage to get enough requests, I will write one more chapter, okay?
> 
> Love you guys, and thank you so much for all the kindness and support you have constantly shown me. I am blown away by how many people love my work, and I've even cried over genuine comments. It means the entire world to me. So, thank you, for supporting me and my work.


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